Mistakes
by DarkeAngelle
Summary: Balthier took Vaan under his roof when family issues arose, so he knew he was asking for trouble. He just didn't think that this is what that trouble would be. Collab with BlackWinterKeyblade! -hiatus-
1. Chapter 1

This is a collab with BlackWinterKeyblade! If you like it, you should go check her out! Like now! :D

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><p>Vaan walked into the house, taking off his shoes and muttering darkly to himself. He had had one hell of a day at school and all he wanted to do now was curl up in his bed and stay there for the rest of his life.<p>

"What's wrong with you?" Balthier, Vaan's roommate, called from the kitchen. He was gazing at the inside of fridge, bored.

"Nothing," he muttered, trudging into the living room and flopping down on the old, faded couch. "Just didn't have a, what you call, 'great' day." He dropped his bag and sank further into the cushions, wishing he could disappear.

Balthier grabbed two bottles of beer and sat down next to him. "What happened?" He offered him a bottle with a smile. "Drink your sorrows away?"

He raised at eyebrow. "I don't drink. Plus, I don't think my parents would approve of you offering me a beer."

He shrugged. "What your parents don't know won't hurt 'em, kid." Balthier was Vaan's legal guardian, a close family friend that had been his babysitter for a year now. His parents were going through a hard time and the drama wasn't good for Vaan, so Balthier decided to clean out the guest room and bring the seventeen year old teen trauma under his own roof.

Vaan also shrugged. "True enough, but still… No thanks. Like I said, I don't drink."

He held the beer a little closer. "Sure?"

He was confused, too tired to comprehend what just happened. "What?"

"Sure you don't want a beer? Even just half?"

His eyes narrowed. "I'm sure, Balthier."

He gave up, sinking back into the couch and putting one bottle on the coffee table while he cracked open the other. "Suit yourself."

Vaan scolded, "just... don't have too many of those. I would like to be able to sleep tonight."

He rolled his eyes at the backwards role of the child ordering him around. "Yeah, yeah. Just go study, or whatever the bloody hell you do in your room for hours every day."

"I don't feel like it right now."

The twenty-seven year old man took a long drink of his beer before responding thoughtfully. "Then what d'you feel like doing? Cooking me dinner?" He smiled at that imagery of picturing a steaming roast surrounded by colorful vegetables and accented with a nice glass of red wine.

"No, I feel like bein' a lazy ass."

Balthier raised an eyebrow at him. "How is that any different than normal?"

He glared. "I am not normally a lazy ass!"

"Then why do I do all the work around here?" He challenged.

"'Cause I'm usually gone."

"What do you do, anyway? Do you have a girlfriend?" He leaned closer, grinning. "A little arm candy for the little brat?"

Vaan's eyes blinked rapidly as he suddenly became awake. "N-no!" he stammered.

His smile grew and he barked out a laugh. "I knew it!"

"I don't!" he argued, his voice rising in pitch.

"Have you shagged her yet?" he asked, his tone almost mocking.

Vaan scooted away a little bit. "I-I don't even know what that means…"

"What do you kids call it again…? Oh yeah! Have you fucked her?" he corrected in the same tone.

His eyes widened. "Never! And, God damn it, I don't have a girlfriend!"

"Ooooh!" he exclaimed, full-on teasing him mercilessly now. "It's a boy then?"

"No!" He shouted, angry. "I'm single!" He stood up, not wanting to stay by Balthier another minute.

He smirked. "You know, now that you're living with me and under my roof, there's nothing to be shy about." Still smirking, he raised his bottle to his lips and took another long gulp.

He frowned slightly. "I'm not being shy."

"Then what are you being?" His teasing demeanor had dropped, but he still seemed like he didn't really care.

"Someone who," he started walking for the stairs, picking up his backpack as he did. "Is going to go and study!" He ran up the stairs, leaving Balthier alone with one and a half beers as his company.

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><p>Vaan's door burst open, disturbing his two-hour study period. Balthier swayed in the doorway, blushed and obviously drunk. "Hey!" he slurred, his eyes unfocused in his drunken state. Clearly, he had had more than the two beers Vaan had left him with.<p>

Vaan spun around in his office chair in alarm, forgetting immediately what he was reading. "Hey…? Need something?" He asked slowly, a little scared.

He giggled, his eyes wandering around the room. "Hehe… Yeah."

He blinked in confusion. "What then?"

He stumbled in, catching himself on Vaan's desk and leaning against it. "I dunno! Tha's th' beauty of th' thing!" He slurred, giggling again.

Vaan was honestly concerned. He knew Balthier would get tipsy from time to time if he was having a boring day, but this was just ridiculous. He looked like he was about to pass out on the floor any second!

He scrunched his nose at the heavy smell of alcohol and moved his chair back a little. "Then maybe you should go lay down and think about it."

He swayed closer, invading Vaan's personal space significantly. "Only if you lay down with me."

He blinked again. "Wh-what?"

He giggled again, his heavy alcoholic breath washing over Vaan's confused face. "Hard o' hearin'? C'mon!" He grabbed Vaan's upper arm and dragged him to the bed.

"What the hell?" He shouted, now more than just concerned. "Balthier! Lemme go!" He struggled against his grip, but the older man was too strong for him.

"I jus' wanna take a nap." He defended, laying on the bed and pulling Vaan over and cuddling him as if he was a giant teddy bear, making sure they were face to face. He closed his eyes and nestled his face in Vaan's hair, inhaling deeply.

Vaan was way out of his comfort zone. He figured that Balthier would fall asleep and everything would be fine, so he just had to deal with him for a few more minutes. "Um… Okay." His heart was pounding in his chest, so loud that his shirt was jumping and he was sure Balthier could hear it.

Balthier smelled his near-white hair and giggled again. "You smell good." His grip got a little tighter and he smiled. "You're really soft, too…" His train of thought slowly faded and he kissed a part of Vaan's exposed neck quickly, smiling.

Vaan's heart jumped as if a shock just went through him. "I-I thought you said you were gonna take a nap." He put his energy into remaining calm. Balthier was just a little drunk. It wasn't that bad…

"I changed my mind." He decided, kissing his neck again, licking it a little. "Ya even tas'e good."

Vaan wasn't sure what to do, still hoping that Balthier would just fall asleep and let him go already.

"Hey… Were ya serious earlier 'bout bein' single?" He slurred, getting sidetracked. His eyebrows knitted together in an attempt to concentrate, feeling like his mind was stuck on high speed.

Vaan slowly nodded. "Why do you ask…?"

"I don' remember." He laughed again, too drunk to remember what he had even asked Vaan to begin with.

Vaan relaxed enough to chuckle. "Well, aren't you just an absent minded professor?"

He glared. "Oi! 'M not a professor, moron."

"I know you're not. It was just an expression…"

"Uh… Well… 'm still not tired." He insisted, hoping he didn't sound as stupid as he thought he did.

"Oh…" He shifted a little, his hope for Balthier falling asleep so he could be free completely fading.

Balthier only smiled, still obviously drunk. "Yer kin'a cute when yer confused."

"I'm… cute?"

He giggled. "Yeah. 'S why I was s'prised when ya said you were single…" One of his hands traveled down and cupped Vaan's ass through his jeans, squeezing it. "Can't believe no one wan's this."

He giggled again, partly at his own words and partly at Vaan's reaction.

Vaan automatically jumped away from the touch, squeaking in surprise.

Balthier laughed softly as his smirk came back. "Yer like a squeaky toy."

"Damn it, I'm not a squeaky toy!" he argued, frowning.

"You're as cute as one." He pressed his lips against Vaan's without a hint of hesitation, his hand slipping under Vaan's pants and squeezing him again. His kiss was rough and needy, trying to get as much out of it for as long as he could. He pulled Vaan closer, not wanting him to break away.

Vaan squirmed, pulling away from the kiss. "Balthier…!" His frown grew deeper as he moved, glaring at the drunk.

"What?" he challenged, kissing his neck again.

Vaan didn't answer, turning his head to give Balthier more access. He didn't like the thought of admitting that he actually liked this, so he was going to keep his mouth shut.

"Vaan?" he murmured, bringing his teeth out to scrape on the tanned skin on the nape of his neck before biting him gently. His hands moved, unbuckling Vaan's belt and jeans before starting to push them down with his underwear.

Vaan whimpered, trying to ignore what was happening. "What?"

Balthier giggled again. "Are ya drunk too?" he teased.

His eyes moved to look at Balthier. "No."

He pouted cutely. "Ya should be."

"Why should I be?"

He smirked. "'Cause this would be funner if ya were."

"More fun, smart one," he corrected.

"Wha'e'er," he muttered. "Don' patronize me."

Vaan stuck his tongue out childishly, forgetting that his pants were wide open right now.

Grinning, Balthier bit sharply at Vaan's exposed tongue and quickly turned it into a French kiss, not quite hiding his intent of the situation anymore.

Finally letting his defenses fall, Vaan kissed back and placed a hand on Balthier's chest, slowly letting it trail down his t-shirt to feel the muscle beneath. Balthier smiled into the kiss before he ended it, rolling over and pinning Vaan down by the shoulders.

"Funner," he said, trying to annoy Vaan again.

Vaan didn't even register the fact that he was pinned down. "More fun," he corrected.

"Funner," he argued, gripping Vaan's pants by the waistband and pulling them off, tossing them blindly into the room.

Vaan took a harsh gasp at the action, forgetting about the argument. Balthier stifled a giggle at the reaction he got, pushing up Vaan's shirt so he could kiss along his young chest. Vaan whimpered again, feeling heat rush to his cheeks and down to his groin. Balthier seemed to be enjoying himself, pulling off his own t-shirt in the heat he felt, too far gone in his desires to wonder if Vaan's whimpers were good or bad.

He tossed his shirt in the direction he threw the pants, leaning forward and biting his neck. "Are you okay wi' this?" he mumbled into the skin, licking up where he bit.

Vaan's head lolled to the side, gladly giving Balthier more access. "Mmhm," he hummed in a daze, the heat nearly suffocating. He wanted to ask how far Balthier was going to go, but it seemed as if he couldn't speak.

Balthier smirked at him. "Good," he purred.

Vaan reached a hand up as best as he could and rested it on Balthier's cheek, guiding him to a kiss. Balthier eagerly followed his guidance and kissed him deeply, one hand holding himself up and the other trying to get his pants off. Seeing that he was struggling, Vaan decided to help, wanting to help the process along as much as possible. The pants were discarded to the floor, his green boxers still hanging on his hips and forming a tent around his straining erection that Vaan had just noticed.

Damn, was he big…

"Thanks," he breathed, his alcoholic breath washing over Vaan's face. "You… You're a virgin, right?" he asked carefully, shifting his position and massaging the inside of Vaan's thighs. He may have been drunk enough to not know his own last name, but he still had a bit of knowledge to know that he had to be gentle with him. Not only was he young, but he-

Wait.

Balthier had nearly forgotten. Vaan was only seventeen, and he was ten years older. Oh, what the hell. It was too late to go back now. Besides, he wanted sex. If Vaan was willing, why not? Not like he cared if Vaan was a little sore.

Vaan nodded, a little embarrassed. "Y-yeah… I am." He was blushing a bit darker by now, knowing what was coming soon. While he would never admit to it, he was a beta reader to some of Penelo's yaoi fanfictions. While he was totally and completely a virgin, he was absolutely aware of what he was to expect. Only, this situation didn't have so many lovey-dovey lines covered in cliché cheese.

Balthier smiled softly at the answer. "Well, this's gonna hurt… D'you have any lotion?"

Vaan looked up in thought. "I…"

"Yeah?" he prodded, growing impatient.

"Try the drawer right there," he suggested in a daze, pointing to the nightstand. "If not, then no. I don't have any."

Hoping there was something he could use, Balthier leaned over Vaan's lithe body and groped around in the drawer blindly.

"Second drawer," he breathed, his mind still trying to catch up what was happening. He lifted his head and kissed Balthier's chest, getting a little impatient as well.

Balthier groaned at the kiss and how far away the fucking lotion was, slamming the top drawer shut and grabbing the second. He ripped it open and searched, his blind groping growing more desperate. If he couldn't find any, Vaan would just be unlucky.

Vaan frowned, wondering why this was taking so long. "See it…?"

"I can't see a bloody thing in there!" he snapped, rummaging around even quicker.

"Then forget it. I'll take the pain," he said softly, trying to see Balthier's face.

"No, I think I got it." He pulled out a little bottle of lotion out and sat back, reading the label and cocking an eyebrow. "Luscious lavender?" he laughed.

His blush deepened. "It was the first thing I grabbed! I didn't read what it was…"

He giggled. "Tha's cute," he teased.

"More like embarrassing," he muttered.

He smirked. "Your ass is gonna smell good, at least," he chuckled.

Vaan just watched, biting his lip.

Balthier opened the bottle and took an experimental sniff, flinching at the strong scent and looking a little disgusted. "It works…" He touched Vaan's hip lightly. "Wanna roll over?"

Vaan shook his head. He wanted to see this.

"Don't say I didn' offer," he slurred. He squirted some of the thin lotion onto his left hand and looked back up at Vaan. "This's gonna hurt," he warned, tossing the lotion on the bed next to him.

"So you've said." He bit his lower lip, preparing for it. His pain tolerance was pretty good, due to the fact that he used to be bullied a lot, but this pain was totally different.

Balthier shrugged and gently lifted Vaan's hips, giving him better accessibility. He slid two fingers in, making sure there was enough lotion and he was going slow.

Vaan's fists curled and he clawed at the sheets below him, arching his back as he let out a silent cry. His eyes closed and his body flashed in heat, trying to get used to the feel. He took a deep breath to relax, faintly hearing Balthier ask if he was okay. He nodded, not trusting his voice.

"Good." Grinning, Balthier added a third finger and began thrusting and scissoring them, stretching out Vaan as much as he could. He wanted this to go fast. He needed this to go fast. His erection wasn't about to leave him.

Vann let a small moan escape and waited for himself to get used to it. Once the pain faded out into pleasure, he began to squirm, trying to get the fingers deeper inside of him.

Assuming that he was prepared enough, Balthier pulled out his fingers. He picked up the lotion again and watched Vaan's panting body, taking it all in. This was his. He wouldn't let anyone take Vaan from him.  
>"Ready?" he asked softly, using as much self-restraint as he could to keep himself from fucking him right now.<p>

Vaan groaned with impatience. He nodded eagerly as an answer to the question, his mind swimming in heat. He felt like he was asphyxiating, driven only by his lust.

Balthier laughed at the reaction and got more lotion, rubbing it onto Vaan's abused hole. "If you have to scream, do it," he instructed, dropping the lotion onto the bed and suddenly thrusting in halfway. A growling groan was drawn out of his mouth at the heat and it took all he could to stay still.

Vaan screamed, his hands flying up to grasp at Balthier's shoulders. His nails clawed and he pulled himself up to sit slightly, clinging and trying to calm his breathing.

Balthier leaned forward, wrapping his arms around Vaan's lower back. "Relax," he coaxed. "I'm gonna start moving." He slowly began moving deeper inside of him, shaking with the self control he was exercising. Vaan was just so… hot.

Vaan's nailed scraped unsteadily as he tried to stay relaxed, starting to pant at the feel. He hung his head and dared to look down at what was happening, his muscle clenching around Balthier at what he saw.

"Bloody…" He couldn't even finish his sentence. Balthier ground his teeth together and started to thrust, slowly at first but rapidly picking up pace.

Vaan moaned from the pain and pleasure, his grip loosening. His pants turned into gasps as Balthier picked up his pace, finally moving his hands. He grasped at Vaan's hips and pulled him down closer, dipping his head to bite at the sensitive spot where his shoulder met his neck. Vaan continued to moan at his actions, much more relaxed than he had been. His legs clamped around the man desperately.

"Wh-what was that, Balthier?" he moaned, only just now realizing that he had felt something that sent an electric wave of pleasure through him and caused him to see white.

"N-nothing," he moaned back. "You're so… hot…" He didn't know how else to explain it, due to the heat in his brain and the alcohol in his system. He felt like he was high, the feel of being inside of Vaan simply unbelievable when coupled with his buzzing drunkenness.

"N-no, not what you said… What you… struck… inside," he moaned, getting even louder when he felt Balthier hit it once more.

Balthier grinned, directing all of his thrusts into that spot. "That's your prostate," he breathed, going harder and faster. He could feel heat pooling in his stomach and hardly believed that he felt like he was about to hit his climax. No way was he letting that happen, though…

Vaan gasped, his moans getting louder and louder. "Th-aat thing!"

Balthier grinned and hit it again, pulling Vaan down again. "There?"

"Uh… huh!" His breaths came harder and more erratic, his hands clinging to Balthier's shoulders again. His eyes rolled and he was blinded in white, closing his eyes and trying to hold on for the ride.

His teeth ground together once more as he felt the pressure mounting. "Vaan," Balthier moaned. "I can't…"

Luckily for him, Vaan suddenly came, shouting Balthier's name and shuddering as he released his seed. He panted and dropped his legs and arms, absolutely exhausted. He arched up so Balthier could have his arm back before flopping back down to catch his breath.

Balthier moaned as he tightened and also came with a stuttered cry of, "V-Vaan!" His breath came heavy and he slowly pulled out, fighting the urge to pass out. He stared at the mess on the bed for a long time before leaning over and licking up the mess on Vaan's stomach. After he was clean, he felt a hand weakly tugging on his short, slicked-back hair.

Vaan pulled him for another kiss, tasting himself and alcohol on Balthier's lips. Balthier broke apart before the kiss could get very deep, his face blank.

"You should take a shower," he suggested, not needing to indicate the mess coming out of Vaan's entrance.

Vaan groaned and let a small smile come onto his face. "Later."

"Then I'm going to sleep." He laid down next to Vaan and turned his back to him. "G'night," he mumbled.

Vaan watched in confusion. "G'night then…" He stood up and grabbed up his robe, going into the bathroom for a shower before going downstairs to sleep on the couch. After all, he knew when he wasn't wanted.


	2. Chapter 2

"YOU WHAT?" a female shrieked.

Vaan flinched from the loudness of her voice. "Penelo, can you be any louder?" he said in harsh embarrassment. "I don't think aliens in space could hear you."

"I'm sorry!" she squealed more quietly. "But, finally! Am I right?"

"Not exactly…"

"Huh? Why not?" Penelo questioned.

Vaan bit his lower lip for a moment, looking around at the other students in the cafeteria of his high school before looking back at his friend. "Well, he was kinda, sorta drunk…"

She raised an eyebrow, not believing it. "Kinda sorta?"

"Okay, okay… Completely drunk… It wouldn't surprise me if he didn't remember anything."

She gently shook her hair as she spoke. "Vaan… Why? …Why when he was completely wasted?" Penelo cringed when she heard the harsh thud come from her friend when his head hit the table.

"I don't know… It just… happened," he muffled into the table. "I didn't think it would go anywhere when-… Never mind."

"Vaan, it's okay." Penelo reassured.

"No, it's not!" he exclaimed. "How the hell am I suppose to act 'round him now?"

She looked down at the table. "Er… I dunno… Pretend nothing happened?"

The light blonde thought about it. "Guess that's the only thing I can do." He winced a little as he moved to try to find another way to sit.

The teenage girl noticed this as she looked up and smirked a little. "And that's why you sixty nine on weekdays and fuck on the weekends, my naïve Vaan."

"Shut up, Penelo!" he growled, wrapping his arms around his head.

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><p>"Balthier? Balthier, are you home?"<p>

Balthier groaned, slowly urging his body to wake up. He looked around his surroundings in complete confusion, obviously not knowing where was. He regretted the idea of sitting up after doing so while putting a hand to his forehead. The pounding in his head and the spinning world was close to being unbearable. But, how much did he have to drink and, more importantly, why was he naked in Vaan's bed?

"There you are."

The man looked up to find where the increased sound came from, noticing Fran in the doorway upon looking. Minus her helmet missing, she was dressed up in her motorcycle gear with high heeled boots that partly covered her leather pants along with her leather jacket, which was unzipped enough to show a good amount of her cleavage. Her white tresses were all messed up because of the helmet that had been on her, but she held a look in her dark eyes that was able to terrify the nude male's attention away from it. "What the hell are ya doin'?" She murmured as she took in the sight.

Balthier flinched. "Not so loud…"

"You got drunk again, didn't chya?" She accused, crossing her arms over her torso. "Thought ya said you weren't gonna drink so much anymore."

He groaned while he fell back down on the bed and closed his eyes; the desire of not wanting to move settling in. "I was bored…"

"So, getting shit-faced was the answer?" Balthier didn't respond. "On another note: why are you in Vaan's bed? As well as bein' naked it in it?" She walked into the room more and pulled the covers back, revealing that her long-term boyfriend was actually fully nude. Her eyes went wide as her hand went lax when her eyes caught two dried stains on the said sheets, letting the sheets fall from her grasp. "Do… you remember what you did last night?"

Balthier opened an eye, complete confusion filling it. "No?"

"What I should really ask is who you did."

His eyebrows knitted together in puzzlement. "What're ya yellin' about?"

"I know what this is, Balthier," Fran said in a tone as cold as ice, fairly slow. "Now tell me who you had sex wi-!" Breaking off her sentence with a small gasp, she put two and two together. The bed he laid in, the missing memories from the night before, the stains, Vaan's absence… It made sense now. "You had sex with Vaan… Balthier, you raped Vaan!"

He flinched at how loud her voice was. "Shut up! You don't need to yell!"

Fran was worried and angry, her voice raising an octave. "Balthier, you had sex with a minor! When you were drunk! What if he turns you into the police? Not to mention, Vaan's a boy! He isn't even a man!" Her concern quickly changed into being completely irate. "You're my boyfriend, Balthier! Not his! Look at what you've done!"

The short haired man's head was throbbing so much that he felt the urge to vomit. "Fran, please, not so loud…"

"It's your fault for getting so damn drunk!"

His stomach turned and he slowly sat back up. "I think I'm gonna be sick…"

"Good! You should be sick!" She shrieked, "Balthier, you had sex last night, completely drunk outta your mind with a seventeen year old boy who's practically your own son."

"Too loud," he groaned.

The woman let out a frustrated sigh. "Get out of bed and go take a cold shower. I'll make you some breakfast and some coffee, and then we'll talk about this."

He scowled at the thought of more thunderous talking. "Can't we wait…?"

"No. Now hurry."

Balthier tried to move, but couldn't. His whole body was sore and he felt weak, the room spinning when he would just barely turn his head. He saw Fran roll her eyes and heard her mumble something in a foreign language before she got him to stand and hauled him down the hall to the bathroom by his arm. Sitting him down on the edge of the tub, she turned on the shower and made it cold enough that even she didn't want to touch it. As she went to help the hung-over man again, she noticed that he wasn't even there anymore. He was clinging onto the toilet, letting out all of his guts' contents into it.

Her nose automatically wrinkled at the sound and the smell. "You alright?" she asked when he was through.

He chuckled as he washed his mouth at the sink. "Don't be calling my understudy," he joked.

Fran rolled her eyes once again. "Be serious. Get in the shower, please."

"First," he started, drying the water of his face, "tell me what it was you wanted to talk about."

Standing up, she flushed the toilet to get rid of the smell. "We're breaking up."

Balthier's eyes widened. "Wh-What?"

"You could go to jail for this," she admitted, "and may the Gods help you that I'm not the one that reports on yer ass."

He stared at her. "…You wouldn't."

She said nothing and sent him a glare, silently challenging him. He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair, noticing that his hair was greasy from the gel that he used that hadn't been washed out yet.

"I was drunk."

"That ain't an excuse," Fran accused harshly. "You're a rapist."

He flinched at the word. "No…"

"You were drunk and he's a minor-."

"He's over the age of consent!" he shouted abruptly as he remembered the law. "So if he agreed to it, it's fine!"

A frown became her fixed her expression as she sighed. "I don't think he agreed…"

Balthier leaned against the pale wall and closed his eyes as he massaged his temples to try to get rid of the pounding headache of his. "All I remember is being inside of him…"

Fran looked at the man with wide eyes. "You remember? How did he react to it?"

He slowly shook his head, his fingers still rubbing. "I don't remember that much…"

"Try," she suggested, "and then take a shower and think some more. I'll be downstairs. What do ya want for breakfast?"

"Surprise me," he mumbled while he was still searching the files of his mind for the memories that he knew were in there somewhere.

Fran smiled softly and left the little, pale room as she tried to think positively about the situation. After all, perhaps Vaan actually did agree to what happened; as crazy as that sounded...


	3. Chapter 3

Balthier flipped lazily through the channels on the television, the volume turned down to a minimum. Fran had left hours ago and he was still nursing his hangover, but he had to admit that he felt better now. He glanced over at the clock and noticed the time, knowing Vaan would be home any second. He sighed and settled for the news, waiting. After a few minutes of watching the news and learning about Lady Gaga's present for Beyoncé, he heard the door lightly creak open. Vaan must be home.

The boy said nothing while he walked past the entryway of the living room where the other relaxed.

Balthier didn't say anything either for a moment, but he knew a conversation had to be started eventually. He turned off the TV and turned to look at the teen. "Vaan? Can I talk to you?"

Said teen leaned against the frame of the entryway as he ate the apple in his hand that he got from his travel to the kitchen, still keeping silent as he raised a light blonde eyebrow at the man.

He sighed and stood up, facing him. He ignored the dull throbbing in his head and shifted his stance awkwardly. "About last night... I'm sorry. I don't know why I did that. I shouldn't've gotten so drunk when you were trying to study."

Vaan only stared at him.

"Vaan...?"

He continued to stare, not sure what he should say or do. What was he supposed to say? Balthier shouldn't have even remembered, that's how drunk he had been.

He didn't even have to wonder why Vaan wasn't talking. It was obvious that he hated Balthier's guts. "Look, I hardly remember anything that happened, but... You're not gonna report me to the police for that, are you?"

Vaan gently shook his head as he quietly spoke. "No... It's mostly my fault... I shouldn't've let ya."

He was honestly surprised by that. He had expected a screaming match, not whatever this was... "You didn't really have a choice..." He gestured to himself, then to Vaan. "I'm bigger and stronger than you. I don't think you could've gotten me to stop..." He frowned, feeling the guilt curl in his stomach in a way that made him want to vomit again. "Did you try to stop me?"

"...At first, but then you started to... Uh..." He shook his head and looked down. "You get what I'm implying... Right?"

He bit his lip. "So... We really went all the way?" He had been hoping that the tiny little memory he had managed to gather was a dream, but now he was seriously starting to doubt that.

Vaan gave a small smile and chuckled a little. "Why do ya think I ain't sittin', Balthier?"

"Oh..." He smiled back. "You don't seem as pissed off as I thought you'd be."

"Like I said, it's mostly my fault that it happened."

Balthier shrugged, perfectly fine with Vaan accepting the blame. "Then that's it? We're going back to our normal lives?"

Trying not to show it, the blonde's expression saddened a bit. He didn't exactly want that, but since that's what it sounded like Balthier wanted...

The older man laughed. "Or would you want act two while I'm sober?" he asked, half joking. The other half of him actually wanted to know if that's why Vaan suddenly looked so depressed.

Vaan's face lit up immensely, not realizing it, as he stared at the older man; his appearance looking like he was asking "Really?"

Balthier was taken aback. Vaan had liked it that much...? In that case, Vaan had no idea what sex was really like. Drunken sex was one thing, but sober sex was a whole new world to the boy. He laughed. "Is that a yes?"

"Is what a yes?"

"The look on your face," he deadpanned, gesturing to Vaan's bright expression.

"Oh," he commented with a light blush and nodded his head. "Apparently so."

He laughed, not knowing what to do now. "So... Wanna finish your apple first?"

"What apple?" he asked, holding up the core by the stem.

Balthier smiled and started up the stairs. "Go throw it away. I'll be in my room. The bed's bigger in there anyway." He didn't mention that there were several other things in his room from his time with Fran, which were the reason that he usually kept his door locked. The last thing he wanted was for Vaan to get bored and see his stashes of condoms. Finding a condom put him one step closer to having sex with a girl and impregnating her. Call locking his door childproofing.

The boy did as he was told and started up the stairs, his heart just pounding. When he reached the top and got to the bedroom door, he placed a shaky hand on the doorknob. He took a breath to try and calm himself and opened the door to the room.

Balthier was standing next to the bed, putting the sheets back on the right way. It was still messed up from the last time he had slept in there, as he was never one to make the bed every morning. After he finished making sure the green sheets and the white duvet were wrinkle-free, he turned to Vaan. He wasn't sure how to initiate this, so he just stood there.

Vaan stepped into the room and closed the door behind him, just looking at Balthier like he didn't know what he was supposed to be doing.

"Let's get this started then." He shrugged out of the lightweight vest he had put on and tossed it near his laundry basket, stripping off his long-sleeved shirt next. He sat down on the edge of the queen-sized bed as he started to unhook his belt, watching Vaan carefully for any signs that he wanted to back out.

Walking over to the bed, he got on it and nervously crawled over to Balthier. He placed his hands on the belt after gently pushing the man's hands away and looked up at him to see Balthier's reaction when he started to work at the leather belt himself.

Balthier leaned back on his palms, not speaking as he watched Vaan with silent interest. He gave a small nod to indicate him to keep going, a little surprised that he could feel himself slowly hardening at what he was hoping that the blonde's small mouth would do. Vaan looked back down at what he was doing, putting in all of his focus. He unzipped the dark washed jeans and pulled them off, letting them fall where they decided to go and beginning to rub the slightly hardened flesh hidden beneath the last bit of clothing that Balthier had left to take off.

Balthier's breath hitched and he reached down to cup Vaan's chin, bringing him closer to that little bump wordlessly. He had a feeling that Vaan was heading in this direction anyway, and who was he to stop him? He was simply speeding it up. The faster they did this, the faster they could have dinner, right?

Without completely thinking, Vaan took a piece of the waistband from the boxers between his teeth and pulled them down agonizingly slowly; looking up with his eyes to watch Balthier. The man was looking down at him, his cheeks lightly flushed. He seemed surprised at the action, wondering if Vaan had actually done this before.

"Keep going," he instructed softly, too transfixed to want Vaan to stop.

Unknowingly obeying a command, the blonde pulled the clothing down until Balthier was free and used his hand to pull them all the way off the man's body. He took a good look at Balthier, realizing that he was packing pretty well in that department. It wasn't like he remembered from the night before. He never really got a chance to see him that well.

Balthier let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding when he felt the air on his arousal, his fingers tensing on the duvet. He wanted Vaan to suck him off already, but he had to test his patience. He wanted to be nice this time around, since he had no clue how he had acted last night. He cupped Vaan's cheek again and slowly guided him to what he wanted, dropping his hand behind him when he didn't trust it anymore. He had to wait.

He swallowed a lump that he had in his throat. He understood what Balthier wanted him to do. Loud and clear. Swallowing another lump that grew, which seemed greater than the first, he got closer and wrapped a couple fingers around Balthier's member to keep it steady as he began to take him inside his mouth. Balthier couldn't help but buck his hips out, thrusting into Vaan's slowly moving mouth. He let out a pleasured sigh with a moan mixed in, not daring to close his eyes. He wanted to see this.

Figuring he was doing something right, the teen took in more and more of him and began to slowly bob his head. He wasn't ready to completely take all of the shaft quite yet. Perhaps when he was able to relax his throat better than how it was at the moment he would do that.

Balthier, on the other hand, was ready for that. He spread his legs wide and raised his hips, trying to get him to take in more. He was struggling to keep himself from bucking again, so he raised a hand to tangle in Vaan's pale hair to give him something to do. He began pushing and pulling his hand in time with Vaan, trying to get him to go a little faster.

Feeling his gag reflex kicking in, Vaan retreated a little on the organ and paused for a short moment. He started again after relaxing his throat better which made him finally able to deep throat the older man. He started his bobbing once again.

Balthier let out a moan, his fingers digging into Vaan's scalp as he pulled his mouth closer. He couldn't believe the view, regretting that he had been too drunk last night to remember. Vaan almost looked like a girl, but he knew better than that. In fact, he was glad Vaan wasn't a girl. If he was, this would be a lot worse.

The blonde winced from his hair being pulled, but continued what he was doing. He added in scraping his teeth gently and rubbing his tongue on the underside to test with Balthier, seeing what he'd do.

He hissed out in pain, pulling Vaan back. "Don't use your teeth," he mumbled. He suddenly got a better idea and pulled Vaan up to kiss him, moving his lips slowly and adding his tongue a few seconds later.

Vaan moved closer to try and help make the kiss more comfortable as he and Balthier's tongues danced in his mouth. He also was trying to be careful by not rubbing against Balthier's lower regions, since he was still fully clothed.

He decided to fix that. Not breaking from the kiss, he lowered his hands to run over Vaan's school uniform, loosening his tie before moving down to his pants to unfasten his belt. Balthier was able to get the teen out of his uniform in no time and noticed that he had gone commando. Breaking their kiss, he asked, "Didn't feel like gettin' completely dressed today?"

"Not really..." the other replied with a blush.

"That's alright," Balthier said with a smirk. "It's less to deal with." He pushed the clothes off the bed and put his hands on Vaan's shoulders, slowly pushing him down onto the mattress. He straddled him and smiled, liking the light blush on Vaan's tanned skin. "Would you like me to use a condom or not? I imagine I didn't last night, but..."

Vaan shook his head. "No, you don't have to... You didn't last night and I didn't mind..."

He smiled and sat up, grabbing one of his pillows and shaking it. A little tube fell out of the case and he caught it expertly, offering the pillow for Vaan as he turned off the cap with his teeth. Vaan rested his head on the offered pillow and watched, still nervous. It felt like his insides were shaking him like a mini earthquake. His heart started beating erratically in his chest as Balthier opened his legs.

"Did you want to turn over?"

He shook his head firmly.

He smiled. "Alright. Let me know if it hurts," he said kindly. He squeezed a generous amount of lube on his fingers before placing the tube nearby, not wanting to take a chance of this hurting Vaan too much. He only put one finger in at first, watching Vaan's face warily. He moved it slowly, being more careful than he probably should have been.

Vaan squirmed a little at the feeling. "S-Sorry..." Squirming one last time, he laid still and tried to let himself relax for Balthier. "Just getting used to it again."

"Are you sure?" he asked, scared he was causing him pain. "Do you want me to slow down?"

"It's fine," Vaan reassured. "I'll tell you if there's something wrong."

"Alright..." He added a second finger warily and slowly began sliding them in and out, trying to stretch Vaan out for what was about to come. He decided to distract him and began sucking on a spot on his shoulder, wanting to leave him a little mark.

The blonde began to try and get Balthier's fingers deeper inside him as he moaned from the sensation of the older man sucking on his shoulder, the fingers that were inside him, and the friction that was being put on his member from Balthier's stomach.

Balthier hummed against the skin on his shoulder at the noise. He pulled his mouth off, noticing that there was a red circle there. Hoping it would turn into a love bite, he added a third finger and kissed Vaan's lips as he began to scissor him.

Vaan clenched at the sheets slightly that were beneath him, his soreness from the first go around kicking in, and kissed the other back. He knew that this time was more or less going to hurt a bit more than it did the night before due to the fact that he was already sore.

Balthier felt him tighten and tried being gentler, breaking from the kiss to let him breathe. He slowly pulled his fingers out and sat back, watching Vaan warily. "Are you ready?"

Taking a deep breath and letting it out, the teen relaxed and looked up at Balthier; giving him a nod. "Ready."

Balthier moved the pillow, putting it under the small of Vaan's back to help. He spread the blonde's legs and repositioned himself, slowly pushing inside. He stopped when he wasn't even halfway in, waiting for Vaan to adjust.

He let out a breath that he never realized he was holding and was beginning to re-relax himself, his eyes tightly shut. "Pl-Please... Gi-Gimme a moment..."

Balthier stopped, using up most of his self control. He wanted to go all the way in as fast and hard as possible, but he wanted to show Vaan that he could have a little more self control than he did when he was drunk. "Is it too much?" he asked in a breath, amazed at the feeling. It was just as good as what he remembered.

"N-No... I-It's fine," he stuttered. "I just need a moment to gather my relaxation again and get used to this..."

Balthier nodded slightly, biting his bottom lip and waiting. "Let me know when..."

Taking a deep breath and letting it out after a short moment, Vaan nodded and looked up at Balthier. "Okay."

The man gave a short, quick nod and started gently pushing in more into the boy. He just couldn't believe how good the blonde felt around him. If you asked him to explain, he wouldn't be able to; it felt that great.

The other gasped when the older male was all the way inside of him to the hilt. So far, he was liking this version of sex a whole lot better than the drunken one.

Balthier started to move, slowly thrusting while watching Vaan's expression for a sign to stop. He really didn't want to stop, but, if Vaan was uncomfortable, he could adjust.

Moaning from the pain and pleasure mixture, Vaan wrapped his legs around Balthier and hooked his ankles. As he looked up, the teen began to rub the man's arms.

Knowing that this was a positive reaction, Balthier started going a little faster. His hands moved to hold Vaan's hips, pulling him down to meet his thrusts every time. His breathing was getting heavier and he bit his lip, holding in his moans. "I-is this okay?" he breathed heavily, just wanting an excuse to hear Vaan's voice.

Opening his mouth, he let out a louder moan before he spoke, panting, "Yes... Like that..."

Balthier kept going like that, leaning down and pressing his lips to Vaan's chest. He soon found that bending like that was uncomfortable, so he straightened up again.

"Ha-Harder..."

Balthier obeyed, letting his control slip a bit. He went harder and faster, trying to aim for that spot he knew would curl Vaan's toes. He couldn't speak now, his breathing too heavy as his teeth let go of his lip to let him moan with every hard thrust he gave.

Arching his back a bit after a few more thrusts, the blonde tightened his hold around Balthier's waist while closing his eyes. "Gods, right there... Balthier..."

He made sure to hit that place again and again, going a little faster without even noticing it. Vaan was driving him wild by now. It felt so damn good to be inside of him... He could feel his climax mounting, but he refused to let it out so soon. He wasn't going to let himself be the first. He lifted one hand off of Vaan's hip and began pumping his erection in rhythm of the thrusts, trying to drive Vaan further.

Putting his hands on Balthier's shoulders, Vaan got himself in the same sitting position that he was in the night before while letting out an airy moan. His breathing was becoming more and more uneven by the moment. His nails scraped Balthier's shoulders and he felt his stomach knotting in heat. Balthier was trying hard to maintain his pace, but he caved in. He went as fast as he could, his fingers digging into Vaan's hip while his other let go of Vaan's leaking member. He didn't want to close his eyes, keeping them wide open to watch Vaan. He wanted to see the look on his face when he came.

"Shi-it...!" the teen cried out in a pleasured moan, his mouth agape with eyes rolled back into his head. His nails dug into the man's shoulders like he was clinging to him for dear life as his body spasmed from his release. His breaths were hard and ragged while he laid his against Balthier's shoulder as he was on his high and let out light, airy grunts from still being thrusted into. "Balthier..." he panted.

"H-hang on," he groaned, suddenly pulling out before he came, letting himself go on Vaan's stomach. He sighed and grabbed Vaan in a hug, not able to suppress the smile on his face. "Was that better?"

Letting a yawn escape and cuddling into Balthier, ignoring their mess as the man laid down, Vaan lightly nodded his head against his chest and allowed his gray eyes to slowly close. "I think we might hafta do this more, just for references." he said quietly and let out an airy laugh, a small smile occupying his features before falling asleep against Balthier.

"We can do it whenever you want," he said quietly before pecking a kiss on his forehead after he fell asleep. Balthier smiled at how tired Vaan was, wondering if he should have waited until Vaan was ready for bed. He decided that was too late now and shifted, pulling the sheets up around the teen. He then picked up his clothes and headed into the bathroom for a shower, whistling a happy tune as he went.


	4. Chapter 4

Vaan's face was filled with agony and misery as he tried sitting at the lunch table across from Penelo, who had a huge smirk on her face.

"Thought I told you: six-."

"You told me, Pen!" he interrupted, trying to be careful as possible as he laid his head on his arms.

"You just don't like to listen."

"No, and I'm glad this is one of the many times that I didn't."

The girl's smirk softened into a sincere smile. "I'm guessin' you and Balthier are okay?"

He nodded, a small smile appearing upon his lips. "Yeah, for now… I'm not sure where this… Uhm, relationship? Fling?"

"Right now it's a fling."

"Where this fling is gonna take us," he finished. Moving his head, Vaan rested his chin on his arms and looked up at Penelo better with his eyes. "If it's going to actually lead somewhere or if it's just a complete fling…" He looked down with his irises. "I'm really hoping that it's the first one…"

Penelo put her hand on one of Vaan's arms. "So do I, Vaan. So do I."

He looked over at her hand and stared at it as he spoke. "Hey, remember that Fran chick that came over a lot...?" He asked to try and change the subject a little, looking back at her face.

"Yeah...?"

"Well, apparently she was Balthier's girlfriend and she broke up with him after figuring out what happened between him and I."

"Seeeeee? He liked you fiiiiiiiiiirst! He was just using her as a replacement, basically!"

"... What the fuck did you eat this morning?"

"Cereal."

"What were they? Bitch Flakes?" he jokingly snapped. "I swear, one day you're gonna be stab happy and/or trigger happy."

"Hey!" she shouted at her friend before remembered something. "Oh, did you hear about the serial killer that's been around town?"

"What? A serial killer?"

Penelo nodded. "Yep. Apparently the cops got nothin'."

Vaan's eyes widened. "You serious?"

"Not kidding. The victims have all been in their twenties. Might wanna make sure to tell Balthier so he's on his guard whenever he goes out."

Vaan frowned slightly. "But he's three years short from being thirty..."

"So?" she challenged. "That's still in his twenties."

"I don't wanna talk about this anymore, Penelo." he stated while standing up and snatching a fry from her tray. "I'll be right back." With that, Vaan started his journey out of the cafeteria and to the bathroom.

He wasn't alone for long, another boy coming in. Vaan recognized him immediately as Vayne, the school's biggest, richest, sportiest, and angriest bully. He had stolen Vaan's Gil for lunch on a daily basis, and the last thing Vaan wanted was to be spotted. But, as usual, his hopes were for naught.

Vayne immediately recognized him, putting a tight hand on his shoulder. "Hey Blondie," he greeted.

"What?" he growled.

"How was lunch?" he teased, knowing fully well that he had taken Vaan's Gil yet again this morning.

"Delicious, actually," Vaan retorted sarcastically. "I recommend the pizza today."

Vayne's grip tightened as he glared. "Oh yeah? I did have the pizza. And you know what? It was fucking disgusting. Like you."

"Oooooh, good one, but... Aren't you running behind schedule?" He looked at his watch. "Shouldn't you be fucking the mascot right about now?" he questioned as he tapped on the face of the watch.

"Ha ha ha," he laughed sarcastically. "Actually, I'm taking the day off. Even I need to relax sometimes, ya know?" His hand got even tighter, his nails digging in through Vaan's white shirt. "You're just jealous you're not getting laid at all, aren't you?"

Vaan took a breath. Usually when Vayne dug his nails into his shoulder, it didn't hurt, but since Balthier had made a bruise right where Vayne decided to dig... "I'm not jealous. You're just not nosey enough to know anything."

He laughed, not sarcastic this time. "Oh yeah? I think you might have a fever." In mock concern, he raised his hand to Vaan's forehead. "Oh my!" he gushed, mimicking an overprotective mother. "You're burning up! You should really just go get your head cooled off." He grabbed Vaan's shoulder and spun him, pushing him into one of the stalls and closing the door, locking it.

Vaan put his hands on the seat of the toilet, straining against Vayne's strength to trying keep his head up. "Really? Can't think of anything outside the box?" Vaan challenged to see if he could make Vayne do something else to him.

"Oh c'mon," he chuckled, "when's the last time you got a swirlie?" He fought against Vaan, trying to get his head down into the bowl.

"Like, an hour before you were suspended all those weeks ago."

"Then let's relive the moment, shall we?" He finally succeeded in shoving Vaan's head down, kicking the lever to flush it as his hand held Vaan's head underwater.

Naturally, he struggled against Vayne's hold. At least he hadn't breathed in any of the water like he had a few weeks ago. Despite how much he was struggling, it was useless. Vayne wasn't about to let go, flushing it a second time. As soon as the second flush was over, he shoved his shoulders down and left the bathroom, laughing as if he just had the most fun he'd had in quite some time.

Muttering while he walked out of the stall after taking a few minutes to regain his breathing, Vaan shook his head and went over to the paper towel dispenser to dry himself off somewhat. He cursed under his breath and began to wring his shirt as he walked out of the bathroom into the hallway when he realized there was no towels. "This day can't possible get any better..." he sarcastically mumbled to himself.

Penelo was running down the hall, obviously concerned. "Vaan!" she shouted, coming to a stop in front of him and wrinkling her nose at the smell. "What happened?"

"Vayne happened. He saw me and decided that I needed two doses of being swirled."

"...Ew." She looked him over, wondering why he hadn't dried off. "Want me to walk you to the office so you can get a change of clothes? If they don't have any that fit, you could call Balthier to drop some off. I mean, that can't be comfortable..."

He shook his head. "One, didn't they stop doing that? And, two, he's probably not gonna answer. He's usually sleeping or got the TV on super load so he can't hear anything during the middle of the day."

She frowned. "So you're just gonna walk around school like that all day?"

"Apparently I am. Unless you go into the girl's bathroom and see if there's paper towels in there."

"Stay here," she instructed, walking for the bathroom. "I'll go check." She ran the rest of the way, not wanting Vaan to get sick.

As he stood and waited for Penelo to come back with his arms crossed over his chest, he started to wonder to himself why he was always the one to have things, like being swirled, done to him. What did he ever do?

Penelo was back in no time, holding only one paper towel. "This's all that was there," she told him, placing it in his hair. Her eyes suddenly narrowed and she pointed to a spot on Vaan's shoulder that she could see through his wet, white shirt. "Is that a hickey?" she asked with a grin.

"N-No!" he stuttered, moving his eyes to look away from Penelo and having a barely noticeable blush.

Penelo's grin grew. "He gave you a hickey!" she practically shouted. "He loves you!"

"We don't know that, Penelo..."

"Maybe you don't, but I do! They aren't called love bites for nothing, Vaan!"

Vaan rolled his eyes. "More like trying to cause a distraction."

She seemed confused. "What?"

"Think about it, smart one."

Penelo did for a moment, then smiled again. "Still! Vaan, he's marking his territory! It's proof!"

"Marking territory and making a distraction are two completely different things, Penelo."

"How d'you know it was just a distraction, huh?" she leered, grabbing the paper towel out of his hair and dabbing his shirt.

Vaan rolled his eyes. "Like I'm going to tell you how it all went."

She smirked. "You should. We're best friends and best friend's don't keep secrets!" she mock scolded.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but there's just some things that even "best friends" don't tell. Like what happens in sex lives."

She jutted out her bottom lip and widened her eyes in a pout. "Pleeeeeease? I need new fanfic ideas!"

"No!" he nearly shouted. "Use your own damn imagination."

Her pout got more desperate to the point that she looked like that Spanish cat with the boots. "Pwease, Vaany?"

"No!"

Her bottom lip quivered and she managed to squeeze out a fake tear. "Vaan..."

He looked away. "Nope. Not gonna happen."

"Hmph!" She wiped her eyes and glared at him. "And why not?"

"Like I told you," he said and looked back at Penelo, tapping her nose with each word. "Some things need to be a secret."

She stuck out her tongue and slapped his hand away. "You're no fun, Vaan. Now, seriously, you need dry clothes." She stopped dabbing him, the paper towel already soaking wet. "You're getting water all over the floor and it's kinda grossing me out..."

"Oh, I am soooooooo sorry." he apologized sarcastically. "Maybe next time I should gain supernatural strength and torture Vayne instead!"

"You should! Or let me at him!" She laughed and started walking for the office. "C'mon, let's go see if there's anything that fits you in the lost and found."

Vaan scrunched up his nose as he followed. Schools never wash the clothes in the lost and found and all the different germs and whatever... It was gross! But, it does beat being completely soaked and cold.

Penelo opened the door to the office and smiled at the old woman behind the desk. "Hi Mrs. Penn! Can we look through the lost and found?"

The old woman smiled and nodded, grabbing a large cardboard box and placing it on the desk. "Take whatcha want, kids!"

"Take whatcha want?" he whispered to Penelo. "Don't think saying that is doing her job."

Penelo shrugged. "It helps." She pulled out a small cheer uniform and grinned. "Here ya go!" she laughed.

Vaan stared at the uniform, unamused. "Try again."

She put it back and dug around a little more, pulling out a pair of aviators and putting them on her face. "What d'ya think?"

"Third times the charm," he sighed.

"Whatever, I'm keeping these." She perched them on her head and went back to the box, pulling out a football jersey that was, however unlikely as it seems, not all that smelly.

He laughed a little bit. "How much ya wanna bet Vayne lost that?"

Penelo frowned. "Right..." She put the jersey back and kept looking, finally finding a plain gray hooded sweatshirt. "What about this? It looks like your size..."

He eyed it for a moment. "I think that'll work."

She handed it over and waited for him to change before giving the box back.

"Thanks... Now, c'mere and gimme a hug." he teased.

"Put on some dry clothes and I will," she muttered, looking at his wet head and shoulders in disgust.

"No, before I go," he stated as he went over to her, his arms open and ready for a hug.

"No way!" she argued, holding up her hands in defense and stepping back, still holding the sweatshirt. "Just take it and put it on!"

Vaan was able to get one arm around her. "I will after!"

"Ewwww! Vaan, stop!" She squirmed, slipping out of his grasp. "Put the damn sweatshirt on!" she yelled, throwing it in his face.

The woman at the desk raised a fine-penciled eyebrow at Penelo's language, but said nothing.

"Fine." He quickly pulled the sweatshirt off of the wetness before just as quickly changing. "Better?"

"Better, but I'm still not hugging you." She gave the box back and left the office, a light skip in her step.

Shaking his head at her and not really wanting to know what she was up to, Vaan followed her out of the office; thanking the lady at the desk as he went by.

Penelo slowed her pace so they were walking side-by-side and nudged Vaan in the ribs. "If you tell me what happened in detail, I'll give ya that hug."

"Yeah, no. No hug is worth that information."

She pouted again before breaking into a grin. "I bet Balthier would tell me."

Vaan looked over at her with a glare. "No, he wouldn't."

"He so would!"

"Would not!"

"Alright then," she said while a smirk formed on her face. "Why don't we find out after school?"

"Fine."

* * *

><p>Balthier walked out of the television studio, gripping a rolled-up script in his hand. He was pissed off that he hadn't gotten the part in a new TV drama, but he had to thank them for at least giving him a part at all, even if it was just a minor character. He got in his car and started driving home, glancing at the clock and noticing that Vaan would be getting home before he would. But, before he could think about that for too long, his phone buzzed.<p>

He answered it, not looking at the caller ID. "Hello?"

"How'd you do at your audition?"

He frowned and answered her bitterly with, "I didn't get the part. I only got a minor role."

"At least you got in at all."

"I know, I know," he muttered.

She paused, not knowing what to say. "So..."

"So? Did you call to get me back as your boyfriend or not? If not, I'm hanging up," he deadpanned, his voice covered in ice. He was still unhappy at her overreaction, but he had to admit that Vaan was definitely better in the sack than Fran was.

"Actually, I called to see what happened between you and Vaan."

"Why?" he drawled, suspicious. "Are you going to call the cops on me yet...?"

"No, I was trying to be supportive..." She sighed, starting to question why she called.. "In a way," she grumbled.

"Well, we're doing fine. Thanks for the concern."

"...Sarcastic at the end much?"

"Sorry," he sighed. "It's just been a bad day."

"Minus the auditions, you wanna rant about it? I'll listen."

"I slept in this morning and missed Vaan, I haven't had anything to eat because we have no food, I spilled coffee in my car, and... I dunno. It's just a bad day." He groaned as someone cut him off, but he stayed on the phone.

"Damn... You are having a bad day." She switched ears with her phone before continuing. "Don't worry 'bout dinner, 'kay?"

"Why not...?"

"Just don't," she insisted.

"Are you coming over?"

"No, I'll be dropping off some dinner for you two later. I would if I could, but I have to go over to my parents' house."

"Oh... Thanks. What is it?"

"It's a surprise," she teased.

"You know I don't like surprises," he reminded, happier than he had been.

Sarcastically, she deadpanned, "It's food. Surprise."

He laughed. "Thanks. With your cooking, I know It'll be good," he complimented with the air of a flirt.

"Whatever," she muttered. "Be happy I found the time to cook so the both of you can eat."

"I am," he argued. "Thanks again, I mea-" He broke off, slamming on his brakes and swerving onto the shoulder. "What the...?" He leaned forward, peering through his windshield at two people walking alongside the road. Shaking, he brought his phone back up to his ear. "Fran...? Didn't Reks go missing?"

"I think that's what you told me. Why? What happened?" Her voice got more and more desperate as she went, confused as to what had just happened.

"I... I'm looking at him right now. It's gotta be him..." His words were slow, still hardly believing what he was looking at. "He's walking with someone on the side of the highway right now."

"Really?" she asked softly. "That can't be..."

"Hang on, I'm getting out to check." He placed the phone down on the passenger seat and turned off the car, slipping the keys in his pocket as he got out to see what was happening.

Before Fran hung up, she muttered in anger, "Out of all the times you hear me loud and clear, you choose now not to hear a warning..."

Of course, Balthier didn't hear. He approached them from behind, not knowing how to go about this. He was walking behind them, matching their pace, when he decided to speak. "Reks? Is that you?"

The two stopped, but the taller, stronger one of the two stepped in front of Reks so Balthier couldn't see, his eyes narrowing. "No it's not."

Reks turned around, deepening his voice in attempt to throw Balthier off. "I think you have me confused for another, Sir."

Balthier frowned. "No, I'm certain it's you." He leaned, trying to see around the large blonde man in front of him.

The bigger man scowled. "It's not your little T-Rex friend, so get out of here, "

The boy that looked like Reks frowned at the other man. "Be a little nicer, he's doing no harm." He turned to Balthier. "Sir, like I said, I'm not the one you're lookin' for. Sorry. I wish you luck for finding this, er, Reks person of yours."

Balthier's eyes narrowed. "Yes you are! I'm living with your brother, Vaan! Don't you remember him? Don't you remember me?"

He cleared his throat, still deepening his voice. "I'm not the person you think I am. There's people that look like someone else and they're not related, am I right?"

The other man briskly nodded.

Balthier sighed, stepping back. "I guess... I'm really sorry." He nodded goodbye to them both and slowly walked back to his car, dragging his feet.

As soon as Balthier was out of earshot, Reks took a deep breath and released it. "Damn," he said quietly.


	5. Flashback

He couldn't have been more comfortable. He was cuddling into the firm chest of the man that had spent the night, both of their bodies naked as their legs entwined with each other. The blankets made a loose cocoon over them, keeping in the warmth that they sought at this time of year. Both of them were sound asleep, blissfully unaware of the snowstorm raging outside of the bedroom at the early hour of the morning.

The younger of the two, who had his head buried in the older's chest, was off of school for the week due to the holiday season. His parents had gone out the night before and his little brother spent the night at his friend's house, leaving Reks alone for the night. So, naturally, he had called his nineteen-year-old boyfriend immediately to spend a nice evening together. Unexpectedly, that evening turned to a night that neither one of them wanted to end.

So, here they were, clinging to each other in their sleep with smiles on their faces and a pleasant comfort in their bodies. They could have stayed that way forever.

The older teen woke up, blinking in the light and coming to the slow conclusion that Reks was in his arms. He smiled and held him tighter, scooting down in the warm bed until they were face-to-face. He pecked a kiss on his boyfriend's nose to wake him up as he whispered, "Good morning."

Lazily, Reks cracked one eye open. His smile grew and he kissed Basch's lips in exhaustion. "Mmm... Basch? Did ya have ta wake me up?" he slurred, opening his other eye and wanting nothing but to close them both again.

Basch laughed softly, his chest rumbling against Reks's hands. "Sorry." He started untangling himself to get up, but Reks's grip tightened. He frowned. "Reks... I gotta go. What if your parents are home?"

"I don't care," he mumbled, sitting up and putting a hand on Basch's wide shoulder. "Can't you just stay a little longer...?"

"Sorry." He leaned forward to kiss him goodbye, but Reks had other plans.

He linked his arms tightly around Basch's neck to keep him still as he swiftly turned the innocent peck into one of tongue, slowly laying the both of them down so Basch was on top of him. Basch broke the kiss first, but Reks wasn't about to let go.

"Stay?" he asked again, a seductive tone in his voice.

Basch groaned. "The choices you give me..."

He laughed. "Take your pick. Either stay and have another round, or go home and not see me for a while."

He rolled his eyes. "That's such a hard decision," he muttered sarcastically. He leaned down and latched his lips onto Reks' neck, suckling on the smooth surface before reaching down with a hand to play along his skin.

There was a light knock on the door as a soft moan came out of Reks's mouth, but neither one of them heard it. The door opened, the person on the other side knowing that there was no reason she couldn't walk into her own son's room.

She suddenly froze, Basch finally turning away from Reks to see what was going on. The room seemed to completely freeze as panic raced through the adrenaline-filled bloodstreams of every person in the small room.

Motion came back and Reks grabbed the pillow Basch had been using, burying his face in it. Basch rolled off and hit the floor on all fours, scrambling to his feet and staring in horror as Reks's furious mother with bedhead and a ragged plaid robe came marching towards him.

"What were you doing to my little boy?" she demanded, her voice calm with venom beneath it.

Uselessly, Basch's voice refused to cooperate with him. Lucky for him, sixteen-year-old Reks unburied his blushing face and grabbed Basch's shoulders to look at his mother while keeping his knees on the bed.

"Mom, he's my boyfriend!"

She stopped dead in her tracks, absolutely horrified. A hand placed itself on her heart as her other clenched on her stomach. "My son..."

Reks got off the bed, taking the sheet with him to cover himself and Basch. "Me and Basch are dating," he said slowly. "We have been for a while now..."

Her shock soon turned to absolute fury. "WHAT?" she shrieked.

Basch flinched at her volume. "I'm sor-"

She pointed her hand at him in accusation. "You turned my lovely son into a fag!"

Reks glared at her. "No he didn't! I chose to date him!"

She stomped forward and grabbed Reks by the wrist. "We need to talk," she snapped. "I think you need to come with us to church today."

Basch grabbed his other wrist, keeping him in place. He was really starting to hate this woman by now. "What if he doesn't wanna go? Let him stay."

She tugged on him, initiating a tug of war. "I'm not going to leave him here for you to corrupt even more!"

"I'm not the one corrupting him!" he argued, raising his voice right back at her. "You're the one smothering him! He can't be himself because you're being, and always have been, a bible-beating bitch!"

Her mouth opened in absolute horror at his choice of language. "That's it!" She dropped Reks's wrist and left the room. "I'm calling the police!"

"Don't!" Reks shouted, running after her without the sheet. "Mom, please! Don't!"

She slammed the door in his face, cutting him off.

Basch moved quickly, putting on his clothes again. Reks just watched in confusion, wondering what he was up to. He picked up the sheet again and wrapped it around his own waist, his heart thundering in his chest like a snare drum.

"Basch, you should leave..."

"There's no way in Hell I'm leaving you with that woman," he muttered. He left the room, Reks nervously following him. He managed to catch up to his mother before she got to the phone, but he also ran into his father.

The man, having already learned what had happened to his son, reeled on Basch in anger. "You know what you did is illegal?" he barked.

His wife chipped in. "Reks is an innocent boy! And now-!" She gestured to her naked son that was wrapped in a sheet. "You've ruined him!"

Basch's teeth ground together. "Why d'you care?"

"I'm his mother!" At this point, she was nearly in tears. "What have you done to Vaan then?"

"Mary," her husband said softly, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Let me work this out..."

She nodded and walked away, burying her face in her hands and crying as she went back to her room.

Basch sighed. "Look, I don't get the big deal. Why do you care what goes on in his life? It's his choice!"

"He's strayed from God's path!" he argued. "You're the Devil! You've tempted and corrupted him!"

"What God and path?" Reks mumbled, "there isn't such a thing. The only reason you're in the religion is because you're scared of where you're going to go and you need to think that there's places called "Heaven" and "Hell" so you can keep your minds at ease of where you'll go in the afterlife. You're just scared."

His father's mouth closed in anger, his face turning red. "You have no faith in your Holy Father? You have no faith in your creator?" His voice was steadily getting louder, his anger breaking through.

Basch glared. "If he doesn't believe in your invisible friend, so what?"

He glared back at him. "I wouldn't be one talking. Don't think we won't call the police on you. You raped our son!"

"I did not! He wanted me to! He consented! He's sixteen! That's the age of consent!"

"He's telling the truth as well as having a point."

"It makes no difference! He's still a boy! You still raped him!"

Basch turned to Reks, grabbing his arm and pulling him back to his room. "Let's pack your things, Reks. We're leaving."

He silently asked for forgiveness before he called out, "There's no need for the packing! I apologize, we overreacted!"

Reks lightly frowned with slightly widen eyes, not believing his own father's words. "My ass..." He zipped up the small bag that he and Basch were working on after he got some actual clothes on when they were done. "Shall we go?"

He thought about it for a moment. "Hm... Let's make him think we believe 'im first then run."

"What?"

"Trick 'im." Basch went over to the doorway. "Really, Adam?"

Adam glared. How dare this rapist call him by his first name? "Yes, really," he said, trying to keep his nervousness out of his voice. "Why don't we talk about this after church?"

Basch had to admit, even though it wasn't true, that was a nice touch. "Okay. That'll give us a longer time to talk." He saw Adam nod as he walked up the stairs and said quietly to himself and Reks. "Brainless douche bag..."

"Dim witted youngster..." Reks's father complained, opening the door to he and Mary's room to only be greeted by her glaring at and slapping him.

"What in the world, Adam? What was all of that about ?"

He rubbed the spot she had slapped in pain. "Well, obviously, you heard-."

"You're right I heard!" she shouted, reaching for the phone in their room.

"I'm forgiven. Everything is being worked out. Our son is staying!" He moved to the phone, picking it up and placing it out of Mary's reach. They would report the incident after they had left for church. He felt like calling now would just be way too early.

Mary frowned lightly. "I don't trust them... They're with the Devil."

"I trust Reks," he said firmly. "It's the other one that I don't trust."

Soon the woman's frown disappeared and changed into an expression filled with sadness. "My baby..." She hung her head. "We have to make sure Vaan doesn't go astray if that monster hasn't done anything to him to make him otherwise." Taking a breath, Mary looked back at her husband. "Reks is too far gone to help."

Her husband matched her expression and put a hand on her shoulder. "All we can do is pray for him to find God's path again." His thoughts contradicted his words, however. There was no way Basch was getting out of this without the police on his tail for rape.

* * *

><p>Basch hopped into his truck, throwing Reks's things in between them. After Reks got in and they both buckled up, the vehicle roared to life and Basch stomped on the gas.<p>

Reks was quiet, trying his hardest not to cry. It hadn't quite sunk in that he had lost his family just yet, but he knew it would soon. What had sunk in was the respect that had been lost and the feel of having his parents turn against him. He knew Vaan wasn't home yet, but he knew he couldn't even say goodbye. He wasn't sure if he could talk to him again. As soon as Vaan was filled in by their parents, there wasn't a doubt in Reks's mind that his little brother would hate him.

Basch could read Reks like an open book, but he wasn't sure what to say. He turned on the radio to a slow country station, but quickly switched it to his Elton John CD as soon as the song on the radio started singing about loneliness and he started driving for his house, getting halfway there before he decided to speak.

"Are you okay?"

Reks gave a half-assed smile. "'m fine," he mumbled.

He frowned. "I know you're not. Look, if you wanna go back-"

"No," he said strongly, turning to look at Basch as he spoke. "If I went back, I'd be forced to live the life they want me to live. I'd be banned from seeing you and I'd be under strict supervision. It would be like living in a prison. It doesn't surprise me that my parents kicked me out, even if my dad "took it back". They're fucking morons... I'd much rather stay with you for a while. I mean, after a while, we'd have to leave your house too..."

He was quiet for a while before he responded. "Why would we have to leave my house?"

"Think about it. If my parents called the police, d'ya know how easily they could find us? All they have to do is find out where you live, which isn't that hard." He sighed, sinking in his seat. "I'm sorry..."

Keeping one hand on the wheel, Basch reached over to place a large hand on Reks's knee. His vision shifted between the road and Reks as he spoke. "I know a friend that's thinking about moving out of her apartment. It's a really small place, but it would work. We could keep it in her name and pay the rent through her. I'm working part-time right now, but I can easily get a full-time job. If you want, we can move there now and you can switch school districts."

"I don't wanna keep going to school," he muttered. "That apartment sounds good, so... Why don't I just drop out of school? You could home school me." He felt a smile come on his face at the thought of Basch teaching him. The idea was ludicrous and he didn't doubt that half, or maybe all, of "Study Time" would be converted to "Sex Time".

Basch laughed, getting similar thoughts. "You really wanna be home schooled?"

He shrugged. "I dunno. I don't really care enough to get a diploma. I mean, I can get a job without one. If not, I'll join the military with you."

Basch shot him a glare and squeezed Reks's knee. "No you won't."

He frowned. "Why not?"

"I'm not lettin' you go into the army. I know it's good money and all that, but I couldn't stand it if I knew you were in danger."

He smirked. "What? Don'tcha think I'd look good in uniform?"

He rolled his eyes. "Reks, you know what I mean."

He sighed again. "Yeah, I know..."

The truck rumbled into Basch's driveway at the house he shared with his brother and he parked, getting out and helping Reks with carrying his things inside.

"You can just stay in my room," Basch said softly, walking quietly for his small bedroom. "Gabby's still in bed. He's working night shifts, so just try to be quiet during the day."

Reks nodded, already knowing this. He followed Basch to the back of the small house, already used to the smell of the dogs Basch and his brother owned. He put his things on Basch's bed and stood still for a moment, zoning out and not noticing that Basch was watching him.

"Are you sure you're okay...?"

He nodded.

Basch opened his arms in an offering for a hug, knowing that Reks wasn't answering him honestly. He could understand why Reks was so upset, but he wasn't sure how he could fix that.

Accepting the invitation, Reks slowly walked forward and hugged him loosely. As soon as he felt Basch's strong arms around him, his hugging seemed to turn to a desperate clinging as he buried his face in Basch's light T-shirt. He finally let everything sink in completely, realizing that all he had now were two gym bags full of his things. A tear came out after a couple minutes and everything went downhill from there. He began sobbing, shaking and clinging to Basch as his hair was stroked.

Basch slowly eased down onto the bed, pulling Reks onto his lap and holding him like a small child. He rubbed Reks's back and nuzzled his face in Reks's pale hair, kissing his head and shushing him softly. He was a little worried, as Reks had never cried this hard before. Not even at funerals. It scared him to see Reks like this, and there was nothing he could do to help him. He knew this was just as much his fault as Reks's, even more so. Basch had been the one to initiate their relationship. Basch had been the first one to suggest sex. Reks had just gone along with everything.

After nearly three hours, Reks had cried himself to sleep. Basch helped put him to bed and began putting away his luggage, liking the view of his and Reks's things existing side-by-side.

* * *

><p>"That's just fucking stupid! Just rent out the place yourself!" Gabranth shouted, not seeming to care that he could wake someone up. But that was fine. Reks had been up as soon as he heard the man stumble around while Basch apparently decided to leave the room and go do something. He had always been a light sleeper. He laid on Basch's bed and listened to the both of them talk.<p>

"Shh! Are you trying to wake up the whole God damn neighborhood?" Basch snapped quietly, indicating with his hands to his brother to keep his voice down.

"I don't care!" He raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Since when did you start giving two shits about the neighbors?"

He waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind that."

Curiosity showed through Gabranth's features and could be heard through his voice. "Ooooh, you got someone over! Where are they?"

The other rolled his eyes. This brother of his sometimes... "Can we get back on topic here?"

"Might. I've yet to take my medicine."

He sighed. "Tell me why you say that paying rent through my friend is stupid and I should just rent the place on my own."

"Oh, 'cause that's bad shit there," he explained. "Get it under yer name. It's just less complicated. It may be harder, 'cause of the Gil issue, but it's the easier way for payments and shit like that."

"Okay... Right..."

"So, uh... Tell me, Basch," he looked right at him, a smirk now taking over. "The person you have over... They a looker and can I have a go?"

Basch frowned and glared at his brother. "No," he barked rather loudly. "Go take your damn meds!"

"Alright, alright. Jesus Christ..."

After watching his brother leave to go take his pills, he turned his head to look at the slightly closed door to his room. Reks was his. He belonged to him. No one was going to touch him. Nobody but him.

"He's probably up and hungry by now..." he muttered to himself as he headed for the kitchen. As soon as he got into the room, he felt someone run into him and hide behind him. "What the...?"

"I don't like your brother..."

"What?"

"I'm sorry," Gabranth apologized as he walked into the room. "I had to take a peek."

Reks glared at him. "Peek? You wanted the whole freakin' show!"

Basch glared at his twin brother. "What did you do?" he demanded sharply.

"Oh nothing," he said with a sly smile.

"Liar!"

Basch turned to Reks. "What'd he do?"

He looked down. "I'm not completely sure, but he was on me with my back towards him and his hands were all over me..."

Basch spun on his brother, grabbing the front of his shirt in absolute anger. "You what?"

"He's so cute, that I couldn't resist. I just can't see how you're able to keep your hands off of 'im."

"That's why he's my boyfriend, Jackass! Not yours!"

"Ain't my fault he's that adorable."

Basch glared and let go. "Don't you dare touch him again! He's mine!"

Gabranth raised an eyebrow at his brother. "You really think that's gonna stop me from doing whatever the hell I want?"

"Fine! We'll get to that apartment tomorrow so your horny ass won't be trying to molest by boyfriend!" He walked over to the fridge for some food, keeping Reks close to him as he did so.

Reks jumped and got closer to Basch when he felt Gabranth grope his ass. "Does it have to be tomorrow?" he asked Basch quietly.

Basch shot Gabranth a glare before answering the question. "Let's go now." He turned and walked out, keeping Reks as far from his brother as he could.

* * *

><p>Reks shifted his bag on his shoulder after picking it up and looked up at his boyfriend. "Didn't you say he had to take medicine for something?"<p>

"Yeah," he muttered, packing a few things in a bag of his own. "He's schizophrenic. When he doesn't take his pills, he's just an angry headache."

Reks closed the door slightly. "Oh, I see..."

"So it's probably a good idea we get outta here as soon as we can." He zipped up his bag and put it over his shoulder. "Ready?"

He nodded as he got impossibly close to Basch so Gabranth, he was silently wishing, wouldn't come all that close. They safely got out to the truck again, throwing their things into the back before Basch started it up.

"I don't think you've met the girl we'll be getting the apartment from. Her name's Ashe."

"Ashe... Ashe..." He bit his lip. "She got light brown hair that's just a little shorter than shoulder length and gray looking eyes?"

"How did you-?"

"I remember seeing her around school last year before you guys graduated."

"Oh..." He laughed. "I guess you have met her then."

"I never really met her," he pointed out. "Just saw her. You said you'd introduce me to 'er but you never did."

"Sorry. I'll introduce when we get there, how's that?"

He smiled. "Sounds good to me."

He smiled back and kept driving, not sure what else to say.

After making sure he couldn't see any police cars, he unbuckled and moved to the middle seat to be closer Basch, resting his head on his arm. Even though they were going to have to be careful by laying low for the rest of their lives and have issues with Gil, he was glad that Basch was the one he was laying low with.


	6. Chapter 5

Balthier parked the car in the driveway and got out, still a little dazed from his encounter with the boy that looked like Reks. He went into the house, barely registering it was unlocked, and slipped off his shoes. "Vaan?" he called as he slipped his still-rolled script into his back pocket as he made his way to the empty kitchen. "Fran's coming by to drop off some food since everything around here is bloody empty. And, uh, about last night..." He trailed off, peeking out of the kitchen and discovering that Vaan wasn't alone.

Vaan was in the middle of the floor in the living room, being pinned by Penelo. "Gotchya!"

"Get off me!" he shouted.

She rolled her eyes up in thought before looking back down at him, grinning. "Nope."

"Get off me, Penelo!"

Balthier cleared his throat loudly, trying to let them know that they weren't alone.

Vaan tilted his head back. "Hey, Balthier..." He looked back at girl that was still on him. "Okay, seriously, off!"

"Fine..." She pouted as she got off. "You're no fun anymore!"

"I beg to differ," Balthier chuckled, leaning in the doorway. "What brings me the pleasure of having Miss Penelo over today, hmm?"

"She... wanted to know about last night..." he mumbled.

His eyes widened a bit in surprise. "Why?" he asked her, finally looking away from Vaan to Penelo.

"'Cause she's a pervert like that!"

"I-... Okay, maybe I can't argue."

He rolled his eyes. "If Vaan doesn't want me to tell you, I won't tell you," he said simply.

"I told you he wouldn't tell!"

She rolled her eyes. "Okay, okay, you were right for once."

Vaan frowned. "Hey!"

"Play nice," Balthier scolded, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out the script. "Now, are either of you going to ask how I did on my audition?"

"Right, you had that today..." he said as he sat up.

"You act?" she asked, cocking her head slightly.

"Of course I act." He rolled his eyes and tapped the script on his chest. "I can't waste my handsome face and my talent, can I?"

"What handsome face and talent?" Vaan playfully teased.

Balthier pointed the script at him. "You know I'm handsome. You also know I have other talents," he teased back with a wink.

Penelo smiled. "More of a couple already!"

Balthier smiled and brought his script back to his chest. "Thanks for asking about my audition. Well, I didn't get the part I wanted," he said sarcastically, more than a little bitter.

"What part was it?" Penelo asked.

"Naturally, it was the lead."

"Everyone goes for the lead, Balthier." Vaan pointed out.

"But not everyone is as good as I am," he argued.

The girl raised an eyebrow. "If you're that good, then why didn't you get the part?"

"Because they're racist." He unrolled the script and held it up for them to see. "See? Lead is a Mexican guy, I'm his gay British friend."

Both of the teenagers laughed a little before Vaan spoke. "You got that part down pretty well."

"Where's my Mexican friend then?" he asked. "It can't be Fran. She's from Puerto Rico."

Penelo pointed at Vaan. "He's tan enough. Just find a black wig."

"I think not." Vaan argued.

Balthier laughed. "I like you as a blonde, Vaan. No wig for you. Or hair dye." He glared at Penelo, guessing where her thought process had gone.

The girl blinked at the man. "What?"

He tossed his script onto the coffee table. "No dyeing his hair black. Now..." He flopped down on the couch, watching the both of them. "Fran's coming here with dinner, but I dunno what time. What d'you kids do nowadays for fun?"

"Nowadays?" Penelo questioned. "You still use that? This amuses me."

"It amuses me that you use the word amuses," he countered.

"Meh..." She crossed her eyes and blew strands of her hair away from her face.

"Anyway," he started, kicking his feet up on the coffee table. "What time do you need to get home, Penelo? And what should we do until then? I'm not one for entertainment."

"Sure you aren't," she said with a smirk.

"Penelo..." Vaan groaned in a little bit of annoyance.

"Peneloooo," Balthier mimicked.

She stuck out her tongue at the both of them before she remembered her and Vaan's discussion from earlier. "Oh, Balthier, did you hear? There's a killer running around."

Balthier raised an eyebrow at her. "And? I can handle him. I've got half a dozen guns and I'm professionally trained to use all of them." He smiled. "I'm not going down without a fight."

"Just thought I'd see if you were informed."

"Consider me informed then." He swung his feet back around to the floor and kicked off his shoes as he unbuttoned the vest of his suit. "Now, if you kids will excuse me, I need to get out of this monkey suit." He stood up and started for the stairs, not looking at either of them.

"Cocky bastard..." She commented.

"I heard that!"

"Oops..."

Vaan shook his head. "Penelo, you fail."

"Me?" she questioned. "Says the one who couldn't pin me!"

He glared. "Shut up!"

* * *

><p>"Balthier," said the shorter blonde of the two abruptly. "That's who that was, just so you know."<p>

"Balthier," he said slowly, enunciating the name almost as if he was trying to find a hidden meaning in it.

He nodded. "Yes, and Vaan, like he said, is my brother. Remember him?"

He had to think for a second. "Vaguely," he admitted. He gave him a curious gaze. "Do you miss him at all?"

"Never really liked each other, so I have to say not really," he admitted.

"Oh." He kicked a stray pebble and put his hands in his pockets. "Maybe we should start laying lower than what we have been. I can't believe that he recognized you so easily."

"Doesn't surprise me, really." He laid his head against the other's arm as they walked. "I haven't changed at all since we ran for it."

He looked at him, smiling. "No you haven't, Reks," he said in a compliment, leaning down and pecking a kiss on his forehead.

"I still don't see why..." Reks said under his breath.

"Why what?" he asked, taking his hand as they walked.

"Their reason for hating you, minus their insane bible-bashing."

He shrugged, knowing exactly who he was referring to. "Parents are parents. They don't really need any other reason other than the fact that I'm male and a couple years older than you."

"How do you always make me feel better, Basch?"

"However you want me to." He smiled and turned down another street, heading for their apartment.

Reks jokingly hit his arm. "You perv! That's not what I meant!" He smiled back.

He laughed, squeezing his hand. "You're the one that thought of it that way," he accused. "But who am I to say no to that?"

The younger man laughed as he spoke. "Basch!"

He smirked and leaned down again, kissing his lips before speaking. "Is that a yes?"

"Can be, if you play your cards just right." he answered with a wink.

He hummed and looked up at the sky in thought. After a moment, he looked back at Reks. "How about I make you a romantic dinner? Candles and rose petals included. Maybe I can hire some French guy to play violin," he offered, only half joking.

Reks chuckled after giving Basch a weird expression that started at the "candles and rose petals included" part. "You're such a woman," he joked.

He laughed along, holding the door of the apartment open for him after unlocking it once they got inside the building and up the stairs. "Then what should I do to play my cards right?"

"Telling you would be counted as cheating if it were an actual card game," he stated as he walked in and sat down in a foldable chair at their small card table that they used for a dining table.

He rolled his eyes as he walked inside of their tiny little apartment, tossing the keys into a bowl by the door. "Fine, fine... How about I make you that fish dinner you like so much?" he asked, heading for the kitchen, which was all of three feet away.

"Really?" he asked, excitement in his eyes.

"If it gets me laid," he sang in a slight tease, opening the fridge and scanning the contents for what he needed.

"You'll get laid anyways."

He grabbed a plate of raw meat with plastic wrap around it. "Then chicken it is!" If he was going to get laid anyways, why bother with trying to make the fish?

Reks shrugged. "Sounds like you're fine with one round. That's fine with me. That just makes sitting less painful." He smirked slightly. He just got himself some fish.

Basch stared at him, trying to decipher if he was bluffing about two rounds or not. Making up his mind, he quickly put the chicken back and began gathering ingredients for the fish fry. "I meant to say fish, not chicken!"

"Sure you did," he chuckled.

"I did!"

Standing up and walking over to the kitchen, that wasn't all that far from where he was sitting, Reks jumped up and sat on a part of the counter that he knew Basch wasn't going to need. He always loved to watch him cook. It fascinated him how much skill Basch had in the kitchen. If he went to culinary school, Reks would bet on it that Basch would be able to become successful. But, as it was now, he wasn't able to Gil wise. They were skating on thin ice already, considering that they were barely being able to keep their apartment and get food for both of their stomachs.

Basch didn't mind being watched as he cooked. Quite the contrary, in fact. He found it unnerving if Reks wasn't paying close attention. He enjoyed the company. "What d'ya wanna eat with it?" he asked as he poured some oil into the pan before slipping a good-sized fish in it. "I think we have some rice or Ramen in the cupboard."

"I'll get the rice then!" He jumped back down and turned so he could open the cupboard to grab said food.

"Wanna start boiling the water for it?" Basch asked as he started browsing different spices.

Reks hummed in a questioning tone as he was getting ready to do the boiling.

He moved his pan over, freeing up the other burner on the small stove. "Get it to boil and help cook the rice."

"Okay, okay," he responded, doing as he was told.

"And now go relax," he instructed with a smile. "I'll do the cooking for you."

Jumping back up on the counter, Reks began watching the fish, how it was browning, and how Basch was putting on the spices carefully once again. Sometimes he wished that he knew his way with food, but just watching always seemed to be a bit better.

Basch let the fish sizzle in the oil for a moment as he turned his attention to the plain rice, adding in a few spices to liven it up a bit. "Want me to teach you this sometime?"

He looked up. "What? To cook?"

"To cook this. I dunno why you like it so much. It's pretty simple." He smiled at him, poking the fish with a spatula. "But teaching you how today would take time out of dessert," he reminded, letting the last word hang in the air suggestively.

"Why do today what you can put off 'til tomorrow?" Reks said with a wink following after his sentence.

"My point exactly. We still have another fish in there to fry," he recalled with a seductive smirk, prodding the fish with the spatula again and wishing it would cook a little faster. Luckily, it was done enough. He slipped the fish off onto a platter and put it on the small table, adding a small bowl with the rice after. He moved to get drinks and plates as Reks jumped off the counter and helped set the table.

"How much do ya wanna bet I'm gonna burn that fish tomorrow?" he said in a laugh.

If he did, it wouldn't be a first. Once, when Basch had to work a night shift, Reks decided to try and make himself dinner... It didn't turn out all that swift... He ended up going to bed hungry that night since he gave up after somehow burning some canned soup and Ramen.

"I'm not betting against that," he chuckled.

Right when Reks got the table all set up, a hand with a plate of fish and a another with the bowl of rice came into his vision. Smiling as he felt arms wrap around him, he turned around and looked up at the owner. "Can't you wait a little longer? Like, I dunno... 'Til after dinner?"

"Mmmm, I dunno. I'm not so sure anymore," Basch said with a smirk.

"Je t'aime," the other spoke fluently before kissing him.

"Moi aussi je t'aime," he mumbled after kissing him back, moving his lips to kiss Reks' jaw. "I really don't think I can wait... We can reheat it later, can't we?"

Reks smiled. Perhaps he tortured him long enough. "Well, you've been patient for this long... I don't see why not," he said, kissing Basch's stubble filled cheek.

Basch grinned and took his hand, leaving the food sitting out as he pulled Reks around the corner and to the bedroom. He didn't bother to close the door, tugging Reks down on the bed to lay under him and making quick work of their clothing.

Reks reached above his head and over to a small bedside table, trying to get what was left of their bottle of lotion. Basch helped him grab it and crushed their lips together, his hands caressing the smaller body beneath him.

"Thank you," Basch mumbled after pulling away from the kiss. "Can we do it again after we eat later?"

He gently smiled. "I promised two. It doesn't matter to me how it goes." Reks's smile turned into a slight smirk as he spoke with a bit of seductiveness. "It can be one after another... If that's the way you want it to go." He placed a hand on Basch's cheek and cupped it some, feeling the stubble under his hand.

Basch smiled back and leaned down to kiss him again. "What the hell did I do to get someone like you?"

"You got me as a partner for that 'reading buddy' thing in elementary school and for some reason you decided to lemme cling to ya."

He laughed. "Oh yeah." He squirted some of the lotion on his fingers and sat up between Reks's legs. "Ready?"

He gave a firm nod. "Of course."

He slowly slipped in two fingers, wanting to go fast. He began thrusting them and stretching Reks out, not waiting for him to get comfortable.

Reks could tell what Basch was intending to do, but he wasn't going to complain even though it was a little bit uncomfortable. He was in the same boat as him. It was a good thing he was, too, because Basch made quick work of it before pulling his fingers out. He rubbed some more lotion on before slowly easing himself inside, watching Reks's expression warily for signs of pain or discomfort.

"Y-You're good." he encouraged after noticing that Basch was watching him intently.

Encouraged by his response, Basch began to move, taking him for all he was worth. He was going fast, knowing that the fish might dry out. But, if he was being honest with himself, the dinner was the last thing on his mind.


	7. Chapter 6

Another update? My, you're all spoiled~

* * *

><p>Penelo waved goodbye to her newly found favorite pair from the car when she got in to be taken home as the said couple watched her leave from the doorway, slightly waving.<p>

Vaan looked up. "When was Fran suppose to be here?"

"No clue," he responded and closed the door after waiting for the teen to come back inside.

"... Okay, then," he grabbed the beanbag and put it in front of the couch. "What about last night? I remember you were wanting to talk to me about it or whatever earlier," Vaan stated, plopping down on the piece of furniture he dragged and immediately started regretting it.

Balthier sat on the couch, putting his feet up on the coffee table again. "I guess it doesn't matter now."

Vaan raised an eyebrow and cocked his head at him. "How come?"

"Well..." He had to think for a while, realizing that there was something more important than Fran, but he didn't know how Vaan would react. He decided he wouldn't know unless he told him, so he went for it. "On the way back from the audition, I saw Reks."

That hadn't been last night, but whatever. This news was better then what he asked for. "What? But... He went missing when I was fourteen." He frowned slightly. "What do you mean you saw 'im?"

"I mean I saw him. He was walking down the road with a man I've never seen before. I tried talking to him, but he denied that he was Reks. For all I remember, it might not've been him."

"Well, he did have an older boyfriend," he mumbled. "Might've been him."

"What did his boyfriend look like?" He tried not to show that he was surprised at this news. Both sons of an extremely religious family were homosexual. Something had to be going on there.

"Dude, it was three years ago. I don't remember what he looked like. I barely saw him."

He frowned. "Oh... Still. D'ya think Reks would stick around here like that?"

Vaan shrugged. "Might. He didn't take any of his Gil and who knows how much..." He looked up as he tried to remember the guy's name. "Josh had...?"

"His name was Josh?"

He bit his lip. "It could've been... If not, it sounded like Josh."

"Basch?" he asked, barely remembering what Reks had called him.

"Yes, Basch!" He stared at Balthier for a second. "You did see him!"

Balthier suddenly got to his feet. "Then c'mon! We have to find him!"

"For what reason? You're not thinking of making him go back, are you?"

Balthier sighed and sat back down. "You're right. If he's happy, he's happy. I shouldn't interfere."

The blonde shook his head before he spoke. "That's not what I meant by it, but that's a reason." He sat up the best he could in the beanbag. "Our parents are the reason they ran... It took me a while to get up to speed, but I finally did and I understand," Vaan added while bringing his knees to his chest. "I don't blame either one of 'em... They're both very strong believers of their religion and they verbally beat the bible and that shit into our brains. They still to do that with me, in fact that's why I'm going to the school I'm attending... If they somehow find out what happened between you and I, you'd learn what it's like to have it up your ass in no time." He placed his forehead on his knees. "That's what happened to Reks and Basch... Didn't surprise me that it was... Fuck, if I could've, I would've begged to go with them."

Balthier laughed without humor. "Yeah, your parents are like that. I dunno why I'm one of their friends, to be honest. I haven't been to church since I was a kid and you're the other sinful thing I've done," he said, half joking. "I can lie to your parents with no problem, so they won't know about our relationship. After all, I am an actor." He looked at Vaan, who was still curled in the fetal position. "Wait... Are you saying you'd rather be with them than me?" he asked in all seriousness.

Bringing his head back up, Vaan rested his chin on his knees with an eyebrow raised. "No, that's not what I was trying to say at all," he defended. "I was saying if I had the choice then to be able to go with them, I would've." He shifted slightly to get comfortable again. "Way before Mom and Dad's stuff started happening and they asked if you could watch me, the thought of running off and coming here crossed my mind so many times..." he admitted, a small smile forming upon his lips.

Balthier raised an intrigued eyebrow. "Really? They're that bad?"

"Well... Yeah, if you're atheist and hate when religion is shoved down your throat, like they do."

"What do you think of me now?" he asked slowly, wondering how Vaan thought of him after yesterday and the day before.

"The way I always have."

He hummed thoughtfully, a little let down that Vaan hadn't changed his opinion. He didn't say anything, looking around for the remote to watch something on TV.

The blonde pushed the remote over to Balthier with his foot when he noticed what he was looking for. "It got knocked off when Penelo decided to randomly attack me."

"Thanks." He picked it up and turned on the television, flipping through channels so fast that it could have given someone a seizure. "Did you wanna watch anything?"

"Nope, not really," he responded as he stood up.

"Suit yourself." He settled on the news and tried to put all of his focus into it, but he couldn't help but wonder if Vaan really meant what he had said about what he thought about Balthier.

Out of nowhere, Vaan straddled Balthier's lap. "Now, what did you wanna talk about earlier? You never told me."

Balthier was a little surprised at the action, but accepted it. He leaned back and wrapped his arms around Vaan's waist. "I was going to ask if you liked what we did yesterday, but I'm taking this as a yes," he said as he laughed.

"Can't you at least wait for the little children in the neighborhood to fall asleep first?" a woman complained before setting down a plastic grocery bag down on stairs. "Or at least the people that'll do something when they hear one thing going wrong."

Balthier turned around in surprise, not even hearing her let herself in with the key she had. "Fran! When did you get here?" He gently nudged Vaan to get off of his lap before standing up, trying to hide what he had been doing.

"Just now." She tossed her copy of keys to him to catch. "Food's right there. It's lasagna. Enjoy it and keep the dish." She opened the door to let herself back out. "Night."

Vaan watched her leave as he sat on the couch before looking back at Balthier.

Balthier had caught the keys, but wasn't moving due to being so immensely confused. "I guess she wasn't kidding when she said she wasn't gonna stay long..."

"Why didn't she?" He cocked his head slightly.

"She has to go see her parents." He tossed the keys onto the table and picked up the food, taking it into the kitchen. "D'you wanna eat now?"

He followed him into the kitchen. "Yes! I haven't eaten since lunch, and that was only a fry."

He looked at him in surprise. "A fry? Why didn't you get something else? Didn't I give you Gil for lunch?" he asked as he started to get plates and silverware.

"A fry was the only thing that I snatched from Penelo's tray," he explained, taking the warm dish out of the bag. "And you did give me Gil, but I didn't have any when lunch came around and I refused to take any of Penelo's food, minus that one fry."

"What happened to your Gil?"

"... Would you believe it if I told you that it became a magician and pulled a trick by making itself disappear?" Vaan asked with a nervous smile.

He frowned and narrowed his eyes at Vaan as he put a large piece of lasagna onto his own plate. "No. What happened to it?"

He sighed. "Vayne came back today from being suspended. Is that enough said?"

He exhaled heavily. "Him again? Do you want me to go get your money back from him? I need an excuse to beat him up."

"I don't think I need more punishment." He frowned. "He gave me two doses of swirlies today as well..."

"That explains the sweatshirt. I was gonna ask where ya got that." He moved to the fridge to grab himself a beer and a can of pop for Vaan. He sat down at the table with them and cracked open his beer. "You need to tell a teacher about this. I'm not gonna sit here while he does this to you. Either get a teacher involved, or I'll handle it myself."

"Then handle it yourself," he said, sitting down at the table with Balthier and taking a drink out of the can of soda. "He got suspended 'cause a teacher saw what happened... The staff over there act like they don't like me or care, but I can't understand why." He chuckled slightly.

His frown stayed on his face and he took a small sip of his beer. "I'll go up to the school tomorrow and solve it then. I don't have to be back to the studio until Monday."

"Thanks, Balthier." He smiled before scarfing down the food in front of him.

He smiled. "What kinda person would I be if I let you get beat up every day?" He put down his beer and also started eating, pacing himself slower than Vaan.

He paused for a second. "A cruel soul."

He laughed. "I'll try not to be cruel to anyone but Vayne."

"Try not to?"

"Alright, alright, I won't be." He smiled and took another bite of his lasagna. "So, other than Vayne, how's school?"

Vaan leaned back in his chair, letting his food settle a bit before getting up to get more. "Boring, as usual."

"Did you learn anything, at least?" he teased.

"... I dunno. I can't remember," he joked.

He rolled his eyes. "Glad to hear it," he said sarcastically.

"And for the news tonight," a woman on the TV from the other room started.

Vaan sighed. "I thought that thing got turned off..." He got up and walked back into the living room, entering when the screen was showing a mugshot of a suspected criminal. "Holy shit, that looks like Basch!"

"What?" Balthier got up and looked, shocked. "That's the guy that was with Reks..." He suddenly grabbed his keys off the table and put on his shoes. "Vaan, stay here and lock the doors. I gotta go find Reks again. What if that guy kills him?" He went into the kitchen and looked in a cupboard, where a safe was hidden. He started doing the combination, looking for his guns.

He stood there in thought. He didn't like the idea that got into his head, but it was a possibility. "What if... What if they're somehow together on it? I know it doesn't make complete sense, but what if I'm right?"

Balthier picked out a small handgun, tucking it into the band of his pants before relocking the safe. "I can handle it. I'll call the police if I find them to give me some backup. Does that make you feel better?"

Vaan shook his head. "You're not a super human, you can't handle everything..."

He smiled. "I can bloody try, can't I?" He pecked a kiss on Vaan's forehead and ruffled his hair. "I'll be back soon, I promise."

The blonde sighed. "Fine... Don't get hurt."

"I won't." He kissed him on the lips quickly before he left, hopping in the car and driving back to where he saw Reks and Basch.

As soon as Balthier had gone out the door, Vaan did what he had been told and started locking everything that could be lock, including windows, just in case. When he was done, he got on the couch and watched through the window like what an anxious dog would do when waiting for their owner to come back home. As he did so, all he did was silently hope that Balthier and Reks would be fine.


	8. Chapter 7

He had been watching and following this man for a while now. But he also had been keeping an eye on the man and his precious Reks in their own home. He couldn't believe that Reks had gone out and found himself a more successful boyfriend and how dare he get a haircut and style it differently... His hair looked cute the way it was. And he got himself some sun... Guess that's what happens when you actually have someone who can take you on vacation and let you be able to do whatever the hell you wanted.

The man didn't even know that he was being followed. Idiot. He was walking along the side of the road without a care in the world, looking everywhere but at the man several feet behind him. Reks may have gotten a guy with Gil, looks, and perhaps an okay personality, but he defiantly didn't get one with brains. At least when he was with his brother, he had a smart guy who would show his affection, no matter who it was in front of or where. He would have that again if he were to be with him. A guy like Reks deserved many things. Love and attention and affection had to be at the top.

Maybe it was lust or the fact that this man had Gil that made him drop the relationship with his twin? This man he was with now was an actor that casted some sort of magic that made his Reks do wrong. His Reks would never let his lust and wants control him.

His thoughts turned to buzzing in his anger and he quickened his pace. He was practically on top of the actor before he finally turned around to see what was coming. Balthier immediately drew his gun, aiming it at the murderer's head and getting him to halt.

"Where's Reks?" he demanded of the actor, glaring.

The other glared right back at him. "You're asking me? You're the one that took him!"

"I did not!" Furious at the denial, he grabbed Balthier's gun and ripped it away from him, turning it around to use against the man. "Hands behind your back. Now."

Balthier didn't budge. "Or else what, Basch?"

The gun was used as a weapon by the blonde man punching him upside the head with it. Balthier struggled to keep his balance, but he had other plans. He shoved Balthier into the thick bushes next to the sidewalk and hit him again, clasping his free hand over his mouth.

"Don't call me that," he growled. "Gimme back Reks."

Balthier glared. His head was swimming, feeling like he was about to pass out at any given moment. He didn't know why he was so intent on Reks. Why was he even being targeted?

"Just walk," he instructed, pushing Balthier further into the bushes and trees. He pressed the gun against his back, prodding him forward as his other hand was holding his hands behind his back. It was taking more self control than necessary to keep his finger from squeezing the trigger, but he knew he needed this man alive. After all, he was going to use him as bait to get Reks back. He would have Reks upset with him if he killed this actor, and he didn't want that now, did he?

"Walk where?" Balthier demanded.

He pressed the handgun against Balthier's back even more, trying so very hard to keep from shooting. He needed to keep his Reks happy now if he were to have his chance of getting him to be his. "I'll give you directions when you need to know."

The brunette man rolled his eyes. This situation was great. Just _great_. He had a .45 Magnum pressed harshly into his back, a psycho wielding said weapon, and he himself was without defense. Greatest position in the world, no?

"So," the blonde man said quietly, "from what I've seen, little Reks's a hot fuck." He glared at the back of Balthier's head. "But, I hafta wonder... What did you do to my little Reks to make 'im leave?" he asked, making the weapon press firmly as he hummed. "Brainwashed him? Trick him? Lie to 'im? Mind telling me, Mr. Actor?"

Balthier sighed in irritation. "I haven't talked to Reks in years! I'm trying to find him so _you_ don't kill him!"

"You're such a freakin' liar," he growled. "He's in your house right now, waiting for you like the good boy he is." The blonde got closer to the other. "Why don't you tell me how you got him to leave and go into your arms? Y'know, to pass the time."

"Did ya get amnesia or somethin'? He was with you yesterday! Why the hell would he be at my house?" If there wasn't a gun pressed to his back, he would have ran for it. Obviously, this guy wasn't mentally stable. Balthier wasn't going to push his luck.

He rolled his eyes. "He hasn't been with me in three years and you're asking the same question I am. But, I also wanna know what you did to my little Reks that made him do wrong." He moved his index finger away from the trigger. "He would never let his lust and wants control him."

He sighed, irritated. "I'm not going to keep arguing with you about this. I don't know where Reks is, and that's the truth. The reason I was walking down here was to find him, so let me go!"

"You take your job too seriously, buddy."

Balthier shouted, "I'm not lying!"

"Okay, sure. Whatever."

He groaned. "If you wanna kill me, just do it," he muttered, knowing that it was going to happen sooner or later.

"No," he said sternly. "Little Reks would have my head if I killed you. I wanna keep 'im happy now."

"Then what are you doing?"

The man chuckled. "Wow. You really don't have any smarts, do ya? If I'm not killing you off, then I'm doing what?" he taunted. "I'm using you as bait, dumbass."

He bit out a sour laugh. "Bait? If you're hoping to get Reks, it won't work. You might as well kill me."

"Like I said, you take your job too seriously," the blonde retorted.

Balthier stayed quiet, knowing that he wasn't going to win this. He knew he could only walk, only to be proven right later on.

* * *

><p>"Basch," he said quietly while giggling and gently attempted at pushing the man away with his arm as he was trying to clean the dishes. "I said stop it. Two's enough for now, ain't it?"<p>

"For now?" he questioned, a smirk forming on his face. "You're spoiling me, Reks." Basch wrapped his arms around the younger man's waist, nuzzling and softly kissing his neck.

"Yeah, maybe if you stop bo-!" Reks stared out through their window above the sink in total shock.

"Stop what?" Basch teased with a smile, knowing fully well what the other was talking about. His smile faded as he spoke again, being more serious. "Reks? Reks, what's the matter?"

"L-Look... O-O-Outside..."

The other looked outside the window like he was instructed. He frowned in confusion. What was he looking for? "I don't see anything, Reks..."

"Outside, in the trees!"

Basch looked harder, leaning forward to peer out the window. He still couldn't tell what it was. "Isn't that the guy from yesterday? Balthier? What's he doing?"

"Look harder!" He suddenly dashed off, grabbing up the corded phone on the wall. "I'm calling the police!"

Basch finally saw it more clearly. "Don't do that! If we call the police, they'll find us too."

"But-!"

Basch was still watching, trying to judge what was going on. Balthier was being prodded through the forest that stretched behind their apartment, a gun digging into his back with his hands held behind him. The man pushing him was none other than Gabranth, and the both of them looked pretty damn pissed.

Reks reluctantly hung up the phone and came back to the window. "If we can't call the police, what're we s'posed to do?"

"I dunno... I could go out there and stop him."

"Basch! He has a gun!" he shrieked, his eyes wide as he rounded on the other man. "You can't take him when he has a gun! Are you crazy?"

"He's my brother, he'll listen."

"You don't know that for sure!"

Basch sighed. "It doesn't matter anymore. They're gone."

Reks looked back out the window. "What if he kills him...?"

"We can't do anything about it. I'm sure we're not the only ones that noticed them." He wrapped his arms around Reks again and turned him around so he wasn't looking out the window, but facing him. "It'll be fine. Someone else will probably call."

"But what if they don't? What if the police are too late? What if-?"

Basch silenced him with a kiss, not liking how worried he was getting. He broke away, nuzzling his face in his neck again and rubbing his stubbly beard against Reks's skin. "Relax."

"How can I relax?" he stressed, pushing Basch off of him and gesturing at the window. "I just watched your psycho brother walk by with a gun at Balthier's back!"

He frowned. "I know. I'm worried too, but there's nothing we can do. If we call the police, they'll see me. They'll either see me as a murderer or a kidnapper and rapist, and I'll get arrested no matter what. We can't call the police! We can only hope that someone else will!"

Reks sighed, leaning back against the sink. "I guess, but... I feel bad for not helping."

"You're such a softy and a goody good," the other teased with a light smile. "Always have; always will."

The shorter blonde frowned at his boyfriend.

"...Too soon?"

He nodded stiffly. "Too soon."

Basch sighed and leaned against a wall, making his head tilt down to look at the floor. There was just one thing that was on his mind and it was bugging the shit out of him... "What I don't understand is why he would have that Balthier guy... From what we've heard, the 'unknown killer' has been murdering the people where they stand at random..." He frowned. "Why would Gabranth make him walk to somewhere else if he's been doing that pattern before now?"

"Maybe to change the pattern to throw of the cops?" Reks suggested.

The older man's frown deepened. "I don't think so... He's the leader of the creatures of habit." He lifted his head back up to stare at the window. "I think he has something up his sleeve."

"Like what?" he asked, tilting his head slightly. He still really wanted to run and call the cops, but he had to restrain himself.

"Wish I knew..."

Reks sighed and stepped forward, hugging Basch. "I can't help but worry about 'im..."

Basch hugged back. "Want me to take your mind off things?"

He smirked up at him. "Let me guess. Sex again?"

"Why not?" he countered, leaning down and kissing Reks's lips slowly, gradually making him go around the corner to go into the living room and laying him down on the couch.

The shorter male jerked out of the kiss as he jumped, nearly having a heart attack, when he heard furious knocking on their apartment door. He tilted his head back and at an awkward angle to look at the door, waiting for someone to speak or at least move.

"Just ignore it," Basch murmured before kissing his temple and reaching over to mess with the light switch.

The person on the other side of the door was panting, and panting hard. He couldn't remember the last time he had ran that forcefully for that long. He knocked on the door again with a little more air in his lungs then before. "Damn it... Please... Don't ignore me," he pleaded the best he could when he saw the light go out in the random apartment. It was the only apartment he had seen that looked like there might be someone in it, and someone was definitely what he needed. "I heard gun shots after seeing my, uh... guardian have a gun held to his back by someone!" He looked straight at the door. "I saw that your light was on and figured you were still awake... Please, don't ignore me. I really need help!" For some reason, he had the urge to fall to his knees and pound on the door until someone were to answer him while crying. "Please... Please..."


	9. Chapter 8

Reks frowned as he continued to stare at the door. There was something about the voice that he recognized, but he couldn't quite place it since it was muffled a bit and the person's sentences were broken apart.

"Ignore it," Basch mumbled, kissing his neck and taking off the clothes he had put back on not too long ago. "They'll go away eventually."

"But-"

"Ig. Nore. It." He wasn't going to let Reks finish that statement. He worried too much. "Remember? I'm distracting you." Basch sat up on his knees to rid himself of his own clothes, blocking out the noise and focusing more on the body beneath him.

"Basch-"

The person outside knocked again, being on the brink of tears. Every single place he'd been ignored him and his pleas. "Please!"

Reks looked up at the man above him. "Basch..." he said sadly.

He frowned. "What? They'll go away..."

"If they were gonna, they would've left already." he argued, frowning back.

He groaned and got up, pulling his pants back on. He cracked open the door, leaving the chain lock to keep the door semi-closed. "Hello?" he called, looking around for whomever was knocking.

The person looked up and saw the open door and the other on the opposite side through burning, teary eyes, which made him not completely able to clearly see the older man. Well, from all that he would've been able to see anyways. "Oh gods, thank you!" He instructed, "look down."

He did, wondering who was so desperate. He recognized the boy immediately and suddenly slammed the door shut in his shock.

Reks stood up, frowning. "Basch...?"

Basch didn't say anything, staring at the door and wondering if he should open the door again or not. "Um..."

"Who was it and why didn't you let 'em in?" he asked, his frown becoming deeper.

He said nothing as he stared at the door, still pondering.

The boy that was outside stared at the shut door, letting a few tears slide down his face. Maybe he should've just taken his chances of running into the man that had Balthier and run to the police station... "Why?" he questioned quietly to himself. "Why open the door if you're not going to lemme in?" He frowned, his tears looking like they were coming more and more by the second. "You bastard... You think this is funny..." The young male put his face in his knees after he leaned against a wall and snaked his arms around his legs when he sat down. "When it comes to my life and problems, almost everybody is like 'Oh, it's just his life. Doesn't really matter. We don't hafta listen! He's not all that important'... But when it comes to their shit they're all 'It's my life so it matters. You need to hear me out! I'm improtant.'..." He made his hold on his limbs more secure and held on tighter. "Damn it..." he let out, which was softer than his earlier conversation to himself, while he finally quit holding back his tears and just let them fall; letting himself to silently cry.

"Basch?" Reks asked again, his eyes narrowing.

Basch finally turned around, still confused. "It's your brother... How'd he even find us?"

The younger male looked back and forth between the door and his boyfriend repetitively before he decided to stare at the other with wide eyes. "Vaan?" he asked in disbelief. "Vaan is out there? Right now?" Reks frowned, looked over and stared at the door as he tried to figure out how his younger brother found them.

"Yeah. Should I let him in...?"

He stared at the door a little bit longer, his frown lightening as he nodded. "Can't hurt."

Basch took a deep breath and unhooked the chain that locked the door, opening it up and looking down. "Vaan?" he called warily.

The boy looked over in the direction he heard his name called when he brought his head up. All he could see was a fuzzy figure since his eyes were more blurry than they were even burned more than earlier. "H-How do you know who I am?" he sniffled.

"Stand up and come inside. You'll recognize one of us in here, at least..." He held out a hand for Vaan to take, waiting.

Vaan eyed the vague shape before he cautiously took a hold of the hand. Sure, he could've declined but he already bothered renter, or renters apparently, of the apartment. Plus, he still needed help.

Basch pulled him up and guided him inside, closing the door behind him. He picked up a box of tissues from next to the couch and tossed the box to Vaan, wondering why he was crying so bad. "What's going on?"

He pulled out a tissue from the small, simple decorated cardboard box and started to dry his tears away after he just barely caught it. "Needing help." He was completely oblivious to who else was in apartment that he was lead into as Reks sat on the arm of his and Basch's small couch.

"Help with what?" Basch prodded, sitting down next to Reks.

"I guess you couldn't understand me from the other side of the door..." He looked at the two men on the couch as he was about to speak again, but his voice betrayed him when he realized who they were and stared in shock.

Basch smiled awkwardly along with Reks, not knowing what else to do. "Hey. Long time no see, huh?"

Vaan continued to stare. "Yeah... It has." he replied quietly.

"So... How'd you find us?"

The younger of the three cocked his head slightly. "What do you mean?"

"He means, how did you know where we were?" Reks chimed in.

Vaan blinked. "I didn't know."

Basch raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

The youngest blonde nodded reassuringly. "I just went to random places." He frowned and spoke quietly as he looked back down. "You guys were the only ones who would answer me..."

"And why were you looking for someone?" Basch asked again, wanting an answer. "Why were you crying, too?"

The boy bit his lip. "The answer to your first question would be that I was trying to help Balthier." He looked back up. "The second would be from being scared and the thoughts that were going through my head as well as other things..."

Reks looked over at Basch, not sure how to handle the situation quite yet, while trying not to show his worry.

Basch tried to form his words in his head before he spoke. "Were you following him?"

"No," he said sternly. "He and someone else, that looked a lot like you, came to the house. I hid and ran off. But... The man kept telling Balthier to find Reks."

Reks's eyes widened as he put his face in his hands. "Oh gods..."

Basch turned to Reks and stared at him for a while before refocusing on Vaan. "Are you serious?"

"...Do I seem like I'd be the boy who cried wolf?" Vaan questioned back as Reks began to gently shake his head.

"I guess not... I just can't believe he did that." Basch sighed. "Did you at least call the police?"

"That's why he came here, Basch," Reks commented, being muffled slightly by his hands.

"So you didn't?" Basch asked for clarification.

"Basch..." Reks groaned.

The youngest shook his head. "I didn't... Wasn't like I could before coming here, anyways."

Basch let it drop. "What are we supposed to do then? Just sit here?"

"I don't know..." the brothers said in unison before falling silent.

He sighed. "Okay then..." He stood up, a look of determination on his face. "I'm not just gonna stand here. I'll go see if I can catch up with them. Maybe Gabranth'll listen to me."

Vaan raised an eyebrow. "Gabranth?"

"It's his brother." Reks answered.

"Oh... He's gotta gun though!" he informed again with wide eyes. "I think you'll be on the losing end of that conversation."

Basch shrugged. "Maybe not."

"I think he's right." the second oldest said, finally removing his hands from his face. "You know how he is."

"I can still try. I can't sit here and do nothing," Basch argued, getting worked up. "I'm not gonna let Balthier die!"

"Unless-." Vaan started before his brother cut him off.

"Don't even go into that pessimistic mode of yours..."

"If I'm not back in a few hours, call the police," he informed Vaan. He turned to Reks. "If the police do get called, hide. Don't let them see you."

"Just... Be as careful as possible." Reks said with worry lacing his voice.

"I will." He smiled and turned to leave, but paused before he did. "Vaan, do you know where they went?"

"He made them stay in the house to wait for Reks to come out of hiding." he responded quietly before going into more detail of how to get to the residence.

"Who's them?"

"...Himself and Balthier."

"So they're at a house? Your house?"

"Well, technically Balthier's house..."

"Where's that?"

"Basch, he just told you." Reks said.

He shook his head, so livid about finding Gabranth that he was starting to feel sick. "Where's his house?"

"On Rabanastre Drive," he explained. "It's a beige colored, two story house. It's on the left, coming from this direction."

"Going from this direction, Vaan." the second oldest corrected.

"Coming, going, whatever."

Basch nodded briskly. "I'll be right back." He left, closing the door firmly behind him with such a force that the clock on the wall shook.

Both brothers stared at the door in complete silence, mutually hoping for the safety of Balthier and Basch.

"...Hungry?" Reks suddenly asked as he stood up and walked to the kitchen, breaking the quietness.

Vaan chuckled lightly. "As long as you don't decide to cook."

"Oh, shut up," his brother said in a normal sounding forced laugh.

The younger brother shifted a little after he sat on the ground, taking his arms out of the sleeves of the thin coat he was barely able to snatch and letting it rest on his shoulders. "I see that you and Basch are going well, as always."

"Hm, yeah..." Reks said with a small smile appearing on his lips. "But, I can't say that everything else is." He grabbed two packages of Ramen as his smile quickly faded. Both of them had the taste for it uncooked when it came around for a snack.

Vaan heard a door open and close from the kitchen. "Oh?"

"Let's just say that Basch and I are almost dangerously close to being poorer than dirt..."

"Really? Jesus..."

"Don't use the Lord's name in vain!" the older blonde joked, trying his best to imitate their father.

The other chuckled. "Haven't lost that talent."

Reks chuckled as well until he walked into the living room, seeing Vaan sitting on the floor. He frowned. "You can sit on the couch or one of the chairs at the table, y'know..."

"I know," he said with a barely noticeable smile. "I've just gotten into the habit of sitting on the floor, is all."

He shook his head. "Whatever. Here." He tossed the package of dehydrated noodles to his younger brother before sitting on the couch and eyeing the time on the clock that had shook a moment ago.

"Thanks..."

Reks shifted and waited until the both of them had gotten some chunks out of their uncooked Ramen to speak again. "So, you're living under Balthier's roof?" He smiled a sly smile. "How's that workin' out?"

Vaan felt immediate heat invade his cool face and hoped that there wasn't a blush present. Out of all the things to remember, his brother remembered the crush he had, and still has, on the actor. What? They had their close moments. "Fine." he said quickly into the chunk of food, his words becoming a little muffled.

The elder of the two watched him. "Fine, eh?" He raised an eyebrow. "Something happened between you two. I can tell. What happened?"

"Y'know, I swear, if you were to put on a dress, some makeup, make your voice sound more feminine, and style that hair of yours differently, I could confuse you for a woman fairly easily."

"Vaan," his brother growled with a frown and a glare.

The boy laughed. "Sorry," he stated before explaining nervously what had happen to during the week between he and Balthier. He didn't hold back too much, feeling better when he got it off his chest. Maybe Reks would know what their relationship was even considered.

"I see..." the elder said with a smile when Vaan finished. "But what about Fran?"

"They broke up."

Reks tilted his head up slightly. "Ah. Well, I'm just glad you two are actually going somewhere." His smile was still upon his lips as he popped another chunk of dehydrated noodles into his mouth.

The younger of the two smiled as well. "Yeah..."

* * *

><p>Basch cautiously walked into the house, a little surprised that it was open. He looked to his right and peered into the kitchen, hearing his brother's unmistakable voice.<p>

Balthier was sitting in one of the chairs at the kitchen table, looking quietly pissed off at his situation. His hands were clasped on the table as Gabranth paced behind him, the gun in his hand with his finger twitching on the trigger impatiently.

"Stop lying!" Gabranth shouted, causing Balthier to flinch at the sudden outburst. "I know you have Reks here! He's going to come out! He has to after a while!"

The actor rolled his eyes. "I told ya, I ain't lyin'!"

"Oh, sure you aren't." he sneered. He came to get his Reks and, damn it, he was going to have him! "Either he's gonna come here or I'll... I'll-!"

"Kill me?"

"No!" He huffed in anger, not knowing what to use as a threat.

"Rape me?" Balthier suddenly said as he stood up abruptly and leaned against a wall, noticing that Gabranth was having a little bit of trouble trying to threaten him.

"No!" he argued, furious. He aimed the gun at him. "Sit down!"

"You won't kill me."

"I won't shoot to kill, but I guarantee it'll hurt like hell."

"You've already shot many to kill." He just barely frowned. "What's the difference now? Besides keeping Reks happy. Hm?"

He glared. "Don't test me."

Before Balthier or Gabranth could take their argument to a higher state, Basch ran into the room. He made up his plan as he went, grabbing the gun from his twin's hand and slamming him face-first into the wall. Balthier stared in shock as the two struggled for the weapon, neither one willing to let go.

"Get outta here!" Basch shouted, only seconds before the gun accidentally fired at the ceiling.

"Don't ruin the house!" he shouted in return, not budging.

"Fuck the house! Go!" Basch snapped, causing the gun to fire again. This time, it penetrated the wooden floor.

Knowing this wouldn't end well, Balthier ran out of the house. He pulled out his cell phone, walking back to where his car was. He started calling the police, wondering at the back of his mind what had happened to Vaan.


End file.
